


Second Year

by littlebark



Series: The Path Less Traveled On [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Slow burn to eventual romance, seriously this is just the build up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-04 14:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6661678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlebark/pseuds/littlebark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Karina Black goes back for what she hopes will be an uneventful year at Hogwarts.</p><p>Oh, how wrong she is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Karina Black frowned at the speck in the sky, knowing her owl, Hermes, was on his way back with news from the Wizarding world. She jumped off the fence that enclosed her family’s property, the grass around her bright and green. Summertime in Canada, her home for as long as she could remember, was warm and the slight breeze tussled her waves of brown hair around. 

“Hey buddy,” she murmured as Hermes landed on the fence post, hooting happily. She unhooked the bundle of letters. Scanning them quickly, she let out a huff of disappointment when she saw none from Harry. Leaning against the post, she lifted her face to the sky and sighed. You would think, that after everything they'd gone through together, he could at least send a quick ‘ _ hey, how are you doing, me? I'm great’ _ .

Then she thought of his family, and the thought crossed her mind that perhaps they had taken away his owl. But then why wouldn't he have sent something back with Hermes?

Deciding to look into it later, she began walking back to the house and hummed happily as she spotted the Hogwarts crest on one of the letters. Ripping it open, she scanned the book list before asking the empty field, “who the fuck is Gilderoy Lockhart?”

“Talking to yourself, Mouse?”

Kari looked up at the sound of the man who raised her, the one she called father, as she got out of the car, pulling out the photography gear he used to make a living. “Got my supply list,” she said easily as she went over to help.

Keith Moore grabbed the letter from her as he started for the house. “Guess it's time for a trip. Have you heard from your friends? Maybe we can meet up with them, grab your things all at once.”

“That'd be nice,” she agreed as she thumbed through the letters. “One from Ron and one from Hermione. Still nothing from Harry.”

“Worried?”

Kari shrugged. “A bit. Nothing he can't handle though, after last year. Maybe we can go rescue him while we're there. I bet the Dursley’s will be more willing to let him come with you, being Muggle and all.”

“They sound like lovely people,” Keith muttered under his breath. “I'll book some flights. Why don't you go get your things together? Who would've thought you would've gotten  _ messier _ with all those books and robes…”

She let out a bark of laughter, running up the stairs. Her mother, her  _ adoptive  _ mother (she couldn't understand when she started making the distinction in her mind) was sitting in the play area where her son was toddling along. He let out a screech and raced towards her. Deidre Moore beamed at her children. “Hello darling. What have you been up to?”

“Walking.” She flopped on the ground and let her brother climb into her lap. “I got my letter from Hogwarts.”

“Oh.”

Kari glanced up at the sound of sadness in that single word. “Mom?”

“You just got back. I can't believe it's almost time for you to leave again.” Deidre said softly, staring out the window. “I was ready for my children to start  _ thinking _ about leaving me when they turned eighteen. But you… well. I guess you just grew up faster.”

In a flash, Kari saw Harry unconscious at her feet. Realized how fast that had indeed made her grow in such a small amount of time. “I'm still your baby,” she whispered.

Deidre turned her smile towards her, love written on her face. “And you always will be. Your father already planning on the trip back?”

“He is! And he said that I’d better start packing.” Giving the young child a final tickle, Kari stood as she opened Hermione’s letter. “Oh. Hermione is going school supply shopping next week. Can you tell Dad?”

“Of course. Go pack.”

Kari nodded. She walked into her room, where memories of her childhood and her first year at Hogwarts were scattered all over it. Flopping on her bed, she opened up a letter from Ron and swore loudly.

_ Sooo don't be mad. We went and got Harry. They had him barred up because there was magic detected at his house. He's here at the Burrow now. He's safe. _

“Daaaaad!” Kari hollered as she wrote a quick note back to Ron, telling him of her plan to meet with Hermione for school supply shopping. Hermes appeared at her window, and she attached it to his leg. “Those people had Harry captive. Bars and all”.

“The most upstanding citizens, really.” Was his dry remark from below.

*

The first time she saw Harry Potter for the first time in nearly two months, he was covered in dirt and grime and his glasses were broken. She had been standing at the stairs by Gringotts Bank, listening to Hermione rattle off all she'd been studying while they'd been off. Her father had hit it off with Hermione’s parents - all three Muggles here for the love they held for their children.

And then, as if she were a moth drawn to a flame, she had glanced around the crowd lazily until she spotted a pair of green eyes she knew so well. Hermione noticed her grin and rushed down to meet him. Kari followed at a slower pace, her knees shaking.

“You alright?” He asked her after getting free of Hermione’s hug.

“Me?” She scoffed as she nudged his shoulder. “I wasn't the one held prisoner the last couple weeks. Hello, Hagrid.”

The giant gamekeeper beamed at her.

The Weasley’s found them and suddenly the group got so much louder. Mr. Weasley spotted Hermione’s parents and her father and she would've thought Christmas came early for him.

“Dad?” Kari said as she raised her voice. “I'm going down to my vault. Do you want to come with?”

“I'm good,” he said with a wide smile as he listened to Mr. Weasley happily.

Kari, never having to worry about gold or even money in the Muggle world due to her parents - both adoptive and real- jumped off the cart that had brought them down easily and sauntered over. Then she remembered the Weasley’s vault, and her stomach twisted. She knew even if she were to offer to buy Ron’s supplies this year, they would turn her down. And yet… They waited for her, just outside the vault and would see the door open and all the gold inside once the goblin opened the door the whole way for her.

And so, with these thoughts, Kari squared her shoulders and raised her jaw… and thought of her father, the one in a cell at Azkaban. She thought of a more collected version of him, of one that carried the Black name and the weight of it on his shoulders. “Please go into the vault and get me a little more than what I'll need for this year,” she told the goblin in what she hoped was a calm but firm voice. “Next year, I'll do this without the audience and make this less embarrassing. But I require your help to make this matter less… awkward.”

The goblin stared up at her before finally inclining his head. He opened the vault, enough for him to get and no more so no one could see in. She glanced over her shoulder, and her heart felt as if it were breaking at the look on Mrs. Weasley's face. Would it have been better to have been her normal self and ignore trying to be more sensitive? She just didn't know… it seemed like either way she couldn't win.

This awful, embarrassing experience was soon over and she had never been so glad to be going above ground like she was right now. She knew it was not  _ her _ fault she had more gold than the Weasley's, that her mother and father had worked had to acquire what they did, and in her father's case, generations upon generations. She just wished she could help.

Kari followed the others quietly, selecting new potions equipment and parchment and quickly began to feel like her old self. By the time they got to Flourish and Botts, she had a spring in her step and laughed easily.

At the sight of the crowd, and the banner above the store, she groaned, “ugh, we have to  _ meet _ him?”

Hermione, on the other hand was blushing and said, “we can actually meet him!”

Rolling her eyes, she followed the others, grabbing her copy of  _ The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 _ along with other books to help tide her mind during quiet nights at Hogwarts.

She came to rest by her father’s side, laughing softly as Keith messed her hair up. And then the laughter left her as Gilderoy Lockhart, in all his in-your-face glory stepped out, blinding white teeth and stunning blue eyes. “ _ That _ prat?” Kari managed to croak after a stunned second.

Moments later, they were pushed out of the way by a photographer -she noticed her father watching the man curiously- and Kari yelped as she lost her balance and fell mostly into Harry, who was trying desperately to keep her upright.

And then the man with the stupid smile and even stupider hair all but shouted, “it  _ can't  _ be Harry Potter!”

Harry was yanked from her side, and had it not been for her father  _ finally _ looking away from the camera and catching her, her face would've most definitely met the floor.

Kari watched from the crowd at Harry’s uncomfortable face, at the blonde man who obviously thought he was a gift to witches everywhere, to  _ Hermione’s  _ look of admiration of her face and scoffed. “Unbelievable,” Kari muttered as Harry jumped off, and handed Ginny the collection of Gilderoy Lockhart books that had just been given to him by the man himself. Kari grabbed the closest bundle of his books before beckoning the others towards Harry.

As if the afternoon was not already unpleasant enough, Kari groaned as she spotted Draco Malfoy sneering at Harry and Ginny. He mouthed off at Ron, and while Ron and Harry held him back, she raised her eyebrows at him. “I wasn't sure you'd be getting the same books as us this year, Malfoy. From what I heard, your grades were less than desirable. I suppose having all that precious Pure blood in you does nothing to make you less stupid.”

“Ah, and you must be young Karina Black.”

The older, silkier voice of a man had Kari looking up. He looked like Draco but older, more worthy of the name he had. She lifted her chin and nodded. Something in her told her to mind her tongue - Draco might think he knew who her family was, but if there was anyone who would know for sure it was his father. His wife, after all, was her father’s cousin. Mr. Malfoy smirked down at her, savoring the moment and what he would say next.

She was saved having to maneuver her way through that sticky situation by Mr. Weasley who was calling for them.

Had it not been Mr. Weasley’s fist that connected with Draco’s father’s face, Kari was sure it would've been hers. The way he had insinuated that the Muggles in their group -her  _ father _ \- was a form of disgrace had made her blood boil and her vision turned red. While Mr. Weasley grappled with Mr. Malfoy, and Draco laughed while he cheered his father on, she turned her glare on him and punched him clean across the jaw. Draco fell back on his ass, looking up at her dazed.

“My father-!” He began to squeak as he held his jaw.

“Is getting his ass kicked,” Kari snarled as she advanced, rolling up her sleeves. “Crazy blood-loving  _ fools _ .”

“Kari, no!”

She was lifted from the floor and spun away, hissing and cussing the whole way. “Put me DOWN!”

“Karina Black, I did not raise you to brawl in stores like a common thug!” Keith thundered as he squeezed past Hagrid and dragged her out.

Kari broke free from him, panting loudly. “Do you understand what they were suggesting in there? That by being mere common born Muggles, you're  _ nothing _ !”

“And?” Keith snapped back, staring at a version of his daughter he had not seen. “Hermione is a Muggle as well, and she's a brilliant witch. Blood means nothing, Kari. Those… those people clearly have their priorities wrong. As long as you are the best version of yourself, and don't sink to their level, or  _ worse _ , your fath-”

“Stop!” Kari gasped as she took a step back. They stared at either other, both still reeling from the direction this fight had taken. 

“Oi!” Ron hollered from the opening of the store as the rest of the Weasley’s began to pour out, Mr. Weasley looking worse for wear while Mrs. Weasley followed him as she berated him. “We're heading back to the Burrow. Are you staying the rest of the holidays with us?”

Kari glanced at her father, before sighing. “I uh… yeah. I'll meet you there. Floo powder myself or something. Hopefully do better than Harry.”

The Weasley’s said a quick goodbye to Hermione’s parents and Keith, who still seemed a bit stunned. “It was very nice to meet you,” Mrs. Granger said as they walked back to the inn. “It's always so nice meeting Hermione’s friends.”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.” Kari mumbled through the daze she couldn't seem to shake. “Um. I'm gonna go pack.”

“Pack?” Hermione asked as she followed Kari upstairs.

Scowling over her shoulder, she snapped, “I'm staying at the Weasley’s till the end of the holiday.”

Looking crestfallen, Hermione stopped at the foot of the bed. “I thought… I thought we'd spent it here. Together.”

“I can't,” Kari said quickly, unable to explain. “Sorry.”

She began to shove her books into the trunk, letting Hermes fly free, knowing he would go find her at the Weasley’s. She found she couldn't say anything to Hermione, couldn't look her in the eye without thinking that perhaps she had sunk down as low as the Malfoy's.

“I'll see you at school,” she mumbled as she pushed past her, dragging her trunk behind. Keith was waiting for her by the fireplace, looking confused.

“I didn't mean-” he began before Kari ran to him and wrapped her arms around him.

Blinking back tears, she whispered, “you're right. With everything stacked against me, I can't be like… well.”

“I didn't mean… Ah hell, Mouse. Thank you. For standing up for me. But don't feel like you have to. Their words are just that: words. They don't hurt me. Not when I know I have the brightest witch around, doing what she does best.”

Kari chuckled. “I'm assuming that doesn't include throwing punches.”

“If you tell your mother I said this, I'll deny it until my last breath but… impressive hook, kiddo.”

She laughed, wiping away tears. “I kinda told the Weasley's…”

Keith smiled a bit sadly. “I heard. I understand.”

Sighing deeply, she pulled out a bit of Floo Powder from her pouch and dragged her things into the space with her. “I'll see you… Well.”

“Yeah,” he murmured, waving.

His face, and what looked like regret on it, was the last thing she saw before she said “The Burrow!” and was swallowed up by green flames.


	2. Chapter 2

Life at The Burrow was much different than anything she'd experienced, and she felt that was quite an accomplishment considering all she'd lived through last year. She couldn't help feeling envy at the easy unit that the Weasley’s were, how amid the bickering and nagging, the love was undeniable.

She found herself sitting outside in the garden, pondering it all when she heard the door open. Tilting her head, she smiled wide as George sauntered over to her. “Fancy meeting you here.”

He grinned at her. “Thought I'd keep you company. Nicked some chocolate from the kitchen for you.”

She patted her heart before she bit into it, savoring it as it melted in her mouth. “A man after my heart.”

“We thought to go have a quick Quidditch game before supper,” he told her as he grabbed a piece of chocolate, laughing at her glare. “Sorry. I meant for us to _share_ the chocolate”.

“It's like you don't even know me,” she snorted happily. “Quidditch, eh? You lot got a snitch?”

“Okay, so more ‘throw some Quaffles around’ than a proper game”.

“I don't have a broom,” Kari sighed. “I meant to pick one up in Diagon Alley, but…”

George waited for her to finish. When she didn't, he said, “I noticed you and your Dad seemed…”

“Tense,” Kari said with a grim smile. “Family squabble.”

“About?”

She froze. Ron knew her parentage but as much as she loved Fred and George, she had not shared that with them. It was too personal, too raw, to share with people who thought her normal. Who still saw her as someone who didn't have a murderer for a father. “Coming here for the rest of the holidays.” The lie came easily. “They reckon I should've spent more time at home. It didn't make sense to go back home only to come back in a week.”

“Couldn't have stayed at the Cauldron for the week?”

“And have to resist buying stuff for a whole week? Dangerous,” a smile was spread over her face as she laughed. “It was awfully kind of your parents to offer. It's lovely here. It's strange that a home this magical feels normal. Going back home… It was odd, George. Like I'd lost my hearing or sight.”

He grimaced. “Enough of that then. You're here. Let's make the best of it. Let's see if we can knock Ron off his broom with Quaffles, you can borrow Charlie’s old broom”.

It had, of course, turned out to be exactly what she needed. That night, as she sighed happily at the memory of Mrs. Weasley’s amazing food and watched the night sky come to light with Fred and George’s fireworks, Kari realized that she felt whole again.

*

The next morning, while everyone rushed around in a panic to get their things into the car to get to King’s Cross, Kari watched in amusement. She had been bunked with Ginny, and while she darted around, Kari managed to get her things packed and ready in record time. She knew she was an expert procrastinator, and had developed skills to do things efficiently and quickly to maximize her sleeping in time. She found herself nestled in between George and Harry, nodding off and grunting in annoyance every time they halted to a stop when they had to drive back to the Burrow for something someone had forgotten.

Which of course meant they got to the train station with barely anytime. Mrs. Weasley shuffled her next to Mr. Weasley. “I'll see if Hermione’s found a compartment!” She hollered at Harry and Ron as she rushed through the barrier with Mr. Weasley.

“You alright?” He asked her as they crossed into the other side. Hermes squawked angrily.

“Yes! Thank you for everything!” Kari cried over her shoulder as she ran to the train, shoving her belongings on board, Hermes in her arms.

When she finally found Hermione, she was red-faced and sweaty from her search.

“What took you so long? I thought the train would leave without you!” Hermione snapped as she reached for Hermes so Kari could push her trunk above them.

“The Weasley’s happened,” Kari laughed. “There were so many of them, they kept forgetting things. It was great.”

Hermione looked at her as if she had six heads and speaking in another language. “But where are Harry and Ron? The train’s about to leave!”

“They were behind Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. They should be here soon.” But even as she said this, a prickle of unease settled at the bottom of her spine. Kari settled herself on the seat next to the window, peering down the platform.

And then the train started to move. Her eyes widened, and she cursed loudly. Kari ran to the compartment door, looking up and down the hallway where students were still streaming to get to their own compartments. “I'm going to go look for them,” she told Hermione, as she tossed her some gold. “Get me some food if the trolley comes before I get back.”

She spent nearly an hour going compartment to compartment in their section of the train, asking if anyone had seeing her friends. She couldn't even find Fred and George, who she _knew_ had gone ahead of her. “They must be in another part of the train,” she told Hermione as she got back, “they're not in ours.”

And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

*

When they finally reached the school and sat at their House respective tables, Kari began to hear whispers. She thought maybe the first couple she heard with Harry’s name was just her imagination, so desperate to find him that she was just thinking she heard his name. After all, he wasn't at the Gryffindor table, and the Feast was well underway.

By the fifth time she heard his name, she looked around for the source of the information. Craning her head, she spotted Neville Longbottom talking to Seamus. “Oi! Neville!” He turned to her, and waved. “What was that, about Harry?”

“They're saying he flew a car to Hogwarts and that's why he wasn't on the train!” He exclaimed, excitement clear on his face.

Stunned, Kari sank back down into the bench.

“They _wouldn't_ ,” Hermione hissed shrilly. “They'll be in so much trouble!”

Kari turned to George, who was frowning at Fred. “Could Ron have flown the car?”

“He never has before,” he told her and she felt her stomach roll. He watched her push her plate of food away and said quickly, “he wouldn't. He knows the sort of trouble that'd bring for Dad.”

“Then why aren't they here? Unless… unless they're already on the train back cause they got expelled.” Her body felt numb at the very thought. No Harry? No Ron? Life at Hogwarts suddenly seemed very dull.

*

Kari squealed with delight when she saw Ron and Harry standing in front of the Fat Lady. Hermione immediately began to lay into them, but Kari rushed towards them to give them hugs. “You bloody idiots,” she said with a bark of laughter. “You didn't think to wait for your parents? They would've known what to do!”

“We didn't _know_ if they would even get back!” Ron snapped hotly, before he noticed the wide grin on Kari’s face. “You should've come with.”

Kari was about to respond when Hermione said angrily, “and have her risk getting expelled? As daring as it may have seen, you two managed to escape a heap of trouble”.

“Oh lay off, Hermione.” Kari said happily. “They didn't hurt anyone.”

Hermione glared at her before saying the password for the Common Room. Kari trailed behind, stunned at the crowd that had formed for Harry and Ron.

She made her way to George and Fred, who were nagging Ron about not taking them with him. “I thought you said your Dad could get in a lot of trouble,” muttered Kari as she raised her eyebrows at him.

“Yeah, but Ron clearly hasn't thought that far ahead. Let him enjoy this so the guilt will be _massive_ later on.” George winked at her.

Kari rolled her eyes as she made her way to the dormitory, exhausted. She walked in and blinked at the name of one of the trunks in her dorm. Walking back downstairs, Kari found Hermione.“I think the House Elves made a mistake. Your stuff is in my dorm”.

“No mistake,” Hermione replied easily. “Professor McGonagall thought having me nearby would lessen your chances of sneaking around”.

Stunned, Kari was speechless for a second before she said angrily, her voice high pitched. “Has she forgotten that _you_ were also doing the sneaking around?"

“She just hopes I'll be a good influence on you, that's all. No need to be upset”.

Annoyed, Kari ran her hand over her face. “Absolutely no nagging me about homework or studying in there. None. If my curtains are closed, no bugging me. If I say I want to be left alone, that doesn't mean ‘please talk to me!’”

“Anything else?” Replied Hermione dryly.

“If I think of anything, I'll let you know.”

“I'm sure you will.”

Kari let out an angry huff, she made her way back upstairs. She spared a glare at Hermione’s belongings before climbing into bed and freed her brown wavy hair from the ponytail it's been in. It fell around her face, unbeknownst to her how much at that very moment she looked like Sirius Black.


	3. Chapter 3

Kari didn't think there was a worse way to start the morning than to have Mrs. Weasley’s shrieks filling the Great Hall. Not a morning person to begin with, this seemed like a punishment for everyone within a couple seats of Ron. She covered her ears, shooting daggers with her eyes at Ron and Harry as the yelling continued. 

At the mention of an inquiry at Mr. Weasley’s job, she looked up and saw the grim look on George’s face. She felt sick, knew that what little income they had came from their father’s salary. Once again she thought of all the gold in her vault, sitting there uselessly when there were people who obviously needed it. Kari wondered if she could send some anonymously, and if they would use it.

She was disrupted from her plotting when Professor McGonagall came around to hand them their course schedules. She suppressed a groan when she saw that their first thing this morning would be Double Herbology with the Hufflepuffs.

“Could be worse,” Ron told her, knowing her dislike for Herbology. “Could be with the Slytherins.”

“Fair point,” Kari mumbled as she grabbed her book bag and followed the others out the castles and toward the greenhouses. As they got near, they saw Professor Sprout cross the lawn with none other that Gilderoy Lockhart at her heels.

“Oh, not this idiot again,” she muttered angrily.

“He's not an idiot, he's brilliant! You'd know that if you'd read his books.” Hermione said with a delighted look on her face as she gazed at him.

Kari said nothing, but knew she would not read those books until she absolutely had to. While she normally read them ahead of time, to know where to look for things when homework was assigned, every time she took one of his out she  couldn't get past the cover where he winked up at her, repeatedly.

“Greenhouse three today, chaps!” Professor Sprout called as she opened up the greenhouse.

Kari sighed as she followed the class in. She'd struggled last year in Greenhouse one, where the basic plants lived. She knew she'd have a hard time with whatever was in here.

“Harry! I've been wanting a word - you don't mind if he's a couple minutes late do you, Professor Sprout?” Lockhart called out.

She didn't have to see Professor Sprout’s face to know she did mind, but before she could say a word to Harry, the greenhouse door was closed in her face. “That man is a bloody idiot,” Kari said through clenched teeth as she tossed her bookbag on the floor and took her place next to Ron.

“Miss Black, language,” Professor Sprout called out, but there was no reprimand in her tone and a small smile on her face.

Kari had thought her first day back at Hogwarts would have been more relaxing and pleasant, having gotten the hang of things after having survived their first year. She couldn't have been more wrong. They were dealing with Mandrakes, something her book had told her about but had said nothing on them being tiny horrible wiggling things that refused to be put in their new pots. They'd met a Hufflepuff named Justin Finch-Fletchey, who she immediately wanted to shut up as soon as he started going on about how brilliant Lockhart was, Hermione nodding along excitedly beside her.

“As if I’m not rubbish enough with normal plants,” she said angrily as she tried to shake dirt from her hair at the end of class. “Now they fight  _ back _ .”

Harry dusted off a large amount of dirt that had settled on her shoulders. “Come on, let's go get washed up. Last thing we need is to be late for McGonagall’s class.”

She was very glad she got there on time. Transfiguration had always come easy to her, something she could read and make happen. The theory of magic just came to her, and by the end of the class she had just as many if not more beetles turned to buttons than Hermione. Kari considered it quite an achievement, having had the misfortune of sitting close to Ron,  whose broken wand kept sparking and giving off the smell of rotten eggs. She scooped her buttons into her pocket, and showed McGonagall’s her least prettiest looking one. By the look on the older woman’s face she was not convinced that that was her best work.

Lunch could have not been more welcome, though she was not looking forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts, something she used to at least be interested in. She had not read Lockhart’s book, but based on the description of one of them by Hermione -a werewolf one, if she remembered right- it didn't sit well with her. The method that he'd used to take it down didn't make sense, not for werewolves. When she'd mentioned it to Hermione, she had snapped that how could she possibly know and walked away.

She had wanted to call after her that there were things called books that held  _ proper  _ information but decided against stirring that pot.

Sighing, Kari walked towards the DADA classroom after grabbing her books while the others went on when she nearly walked into Snape. “Sorry,” she mumbled and stepped around him.

“Keeping out of trouble, I hope.”

Annoyed, Kari stopped in her tracks and turned around. “It's the first day back, Professor. Can't promise anything yet.”

Something like fury flashed across his face, and she would've missed it had she not been watching. “I would imagine after the mess of last year, you would attempt to keep your nose to the ground.”

Kari raised an eyebrow. “You mean the trouble where Gryffindor won the House Cup? Or the one where a couple of First Years stopped You-Know-Who from coming back?” At the dark look on his face, she rolled her eyes. “Relax, Professor. I forgot my books for DADA and had to go and get them. Or maybe my subconscious did it on purpose to spare me more time than necessary with that blonde haired thing we’re to call a teacher this year.”

Snape said nothing but she couldn't help but wonder if he agreed. Digging into her pocket, she pulled out one of the buttons she'd just Transfigured and flipped it towards him. He caught it easily, and raised an eyebrow. “To show you how well I'm doing so far,” she grinned at him before walking away.

She hurried up the staircase, ducking under Lockhart’s arm where he had once again cornered Harry. He sent her an imploring look. ‘Sorry, mate,’ she mouthed before walking into the classroom and sitting next to Hermione. She was surprised, and a little excited to hear, that they would have a pop quiz. Perhaps this wouldn't be a complete waste of class after all.

All hope was dashed from her as she looked down at the quiz in front of her.

  * __What is Gilderoy Lockhart’s favorite color?__



 

After reading all of the quiz, Kari felt anger course through her. She dipped her quill into her ink and wrote the same answer for all fifty four questions.

_ Who gives a shit? _

She was hardly surprised when Hermione got points at the end of the quiz and she was told to stay around after class for a talk at her ‘lack of grasp on the knowledge of the books’.

“Moron,” Kari muttered under her breath and rolled her eyes.

Her description of Gilderoy Lockhart was proven correct when he released a cage full of Cornish Pixies as what she could only assume was to be a hand on exercise. For a second, time seemed to freeze and then chaos erupted. “Protego!” Kari hollered as she produced a weak Shield Charm that caused the Pixie dive bombing towards her to bounce off. “Is this really happening?!”

“Well,” Lockhart panted as the bell rang and he emerged from under his desk, “I'll just ask the four of you to nip the rest back in the cage?”

Furious, Kari whirled towards him, hair wild and eyes flashing. “Oh no you don't. You did this, you incompetent buffoon-”

“Kari!” Hermione cried, horrified.

“Who releases a bunch of pixies on a bunch of Second Years?” Kari hollered after him, sending a shower of sparks at the door he had just escaped with. “Worst teacher EVER. And the last one had  _ Voldermort  _ in the back of his flipping head.”

“Rubbish! If you would just read his books you would see all the amazing things he's done,” Hermione replied angrily as she slammed the cage shut.

“He  _ says _ he's done,” Ron muttered.

Kari couldn't agree more. Wiping blood from her cheek, she grabbed her bookbag and kicked over a book square in the middle of Gilderoy Lockhart’s stupid face.

*

“Wake up.”

Opening one eye, Kari glared at Hermione. “I sleep with my wand under my pillow. Unless the school is on fire, back away slowly and leave me alone. It's Saturday.”

“It's almost 8am.”

“It's  _ Saturday _ .”

“It's breakfast time.”

“It's  _ Saturday. _ What part of this don't you understand?” Kari growled as she yanked the covers over her head.

Hermione sighed. “Come on. Breakfast then to the Quidditch field. Harry’s at practice”.

“ _ I’m _ not on the bloody Quidditch team. I don't have to be up.”

By the time Hermione managed to talk Kari out of bed, they decided that practice would almost be done and grabbed a couple pieces of toast before heading to the field. Ron kept guiding Kari, veering her in the right direction as she nodded off. When they got there and Harry informed them they hadn't been started, Kari glared at Hermione.

They hadn't sat there for more than five minutes when Ron shook her awake. “Come on,” he murmured as he started walking into the field. “Invasion of green. Can only mean Slytherins coming to cause some trouble.”

“Would it be too much to ask for everyone to just… not be dicks before noon on weekends?” She mumbled sleepily. Her system was kicked into gear as she spotted a head with blond hair. “I'm sorry. Did I hear that correctly? You're the new Seeker?”

Draco Malfoy smirked at her. “Goes to show you what you could've had in a much better house.”

“Horrible greasy hair and a terrible attitude?” Kari laughed. “When are you going to stop hiding behind Daddy, Malfoy?”

“At least no one on the Gryffindor team had to buy their way in,” Hermione said sharply. “ _ They _ got in on pure talent.”

“Nobody asked your opinion,” Malfoy spat at her, “you filthy little Mudblood.”

Though she had not grown up in a wizarding household, she knew the meaning and hatred behind the word. By the reaction around her, she was not alone. Flint blocked Fred and George from lunging at Malfoy, behind her someone shrieked “how dare you!” and before she could whip out her wand -for she refused to use her fists again, no matter how much she wished she would- she heard Ron yell, “you'll pay for that, Malfoy!”

“Ron, wait, NO!” Kari cried, remembering his broken wand.

But it was too late. There was a loud bang and a bright flash of green light that hit Ron square in the chest and sent him flying. Forgetting all about the Slytherin team and ignoring their roars of laughter, Kari rushed to Ron. “Ron!-”

At the sight of the first slug that fell from Ron’s mouth, Kari recoiled and gagged. “Nope. Sorry. Nope. Too much like a snake. Nope.”

“We have to get him to Hagrid’s,” Harry said while Hermione nodded bravely. “It's closest.”

Kari picked up his wand. “If I come back and find Malfoy with a broken nose, I wouldn't be the least bit upset,” she told Fred as she rushed after Ron.

“We still have Bludgers!” He called after her darkly.

She could say with confidence that having watch her friend throw up something that looked like slimey snakes was up there in her list of ‘never want to see again’. By the time they got to Hagrid’s and a basin was placed under him, she was feeling as if her skin was crawling. Every time a slug hit the bottom of the pan, she shuddered. “There has to be  _ something _ we can do,” she snapped finally, raking her hands through her hair.

“I don't think so,” Hermione said glumly as Ron retched again. “It's complicated magic, and with a broken wand....”

Kari let out a curse. “I can't… Ron, I'm sorry but I can't…”

“S’ok,” he muttered as he emerged from the pot, green faced. “It's gross. Go.”

She let out a curt nod, thanking Hagrid. The Slytherin team was on the field, and Snape on the sidelines. Blood boiling, Kari marched towards him. “Do you know what he called her?” She screamed as she pointed at the air, where Malfoy was flying around.

“I have heard how the Gryffindor team tried to bully the Slytherin team off the field, if that's what you're worked up about, Black.”

Malfoy started to fly down, and Kari turned her searing gaze to him. “If you get on the ground I can't promise you you'll have any limbs left to use that bloody broom, Malfoy.”

“That is  _ enough _ -”

“He called her a  _ MUDBLOOD, _ ” Kari roared, her voice raw. “I understand Slytherin has a horseshit reputation but what the  _ fuck _ . Blood means  _ nothing _ -”

“Easy for the pure blood to say,” hissed Snape mockingly.

Kari narrowed her eyes. “I can't help who my parents were, or what their blood was. But I'll tell you something,  _ Professor. _ I would trade it all in a heartbeat if it meant I had no blood relations with any of these blood loving fools.”

After a second, Snape muttered, “it's not right. To call anyone that.”

“Telling  _ me  _ that won't do a bit of good and you know it,” she hissed angrily, but she couldn't help but wonder if by the look on his face there was a story behind it. “Not that I have any confidence that you telling any of them will have any effect either.”

Not even closed to satisfied but unable to control what would come next, Kari turned on her heel and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

Kari forgot that Harry and Ron had detention for crashing the Ford Anglia into the Whomping Willow, but used her free time by evading Hermione and hunkering down in the library before she was kicked out. She figured, if Sirius Black was as truly terrible as she made him out to be, then perhaps her mother was the answer to a better version of her. Even if she had been in Slytherin, _she_ hadn't butchered a bunch of people for the Darkest Wizard who ever lived.

The problem was there was absolutely no mention of Victoria Lowry-Black in any history book that held any significance. She came from a pure blood family, and had a twin brother that somehow fell off the face of the planet around the start of the First Wizarding War. She found herself penning a quick letter to a Tabor Lowry, and attaching it to Hermes so that perhaps he could find him. Short and quick and to the point.

_I'm Karina Black. My mother was Victoria Lowry. I am just looking for any connection that isn't my father. Please, if you're alive, anything that would show me that my mother made the right choice and didn't marry a monster would help me sleep better at night._

She had no high hopes that she'd get an answer back, but she felt more productive and in control of her life.

“You're certainly up late.”

Kari slammed shut the genealogy book and shuffled papers on top of it at the sound of Professor McGonagall’s voice. Twisting in her seat, she tossed a quick smile her way. “Would you believe me if I said I was doing Transfiguration homework?”

“Please. How foolish do you think I am?” The older witch said, not missing what Kari had just hid but saying nothing. “Wasting time while your friends are at detention?”

The book under her arm felt as it was burning. “I wouldn't say _wasting_ time. Just killing some of it. I couldn't stand Hermione quizzing me on things. We've been back a week.”

“And yet, I highly doubt you need Miss Granger to motivate you,” McGonagall said dryly as she set down a button next to Kari.

Smiling dryly, Kari said, “see, and now I’ve learned: never trust Snape with a gift.”

“Why didn't you present this in class?”

“And get complimented on it? No thank you.” Kari reached for the shiny button, flipping it between her fingers. “You know that I can do well. That's all I need, Professor. Throw any challenge at me and I may just be able to conquer it.”

McGonagall stared at her for a second and nodded. “You know I'll hold you to that.”

“I wouldn't expect anything else,” Kari replied as she pulled out the jar of buttons she'd transfigured in class.

Rolling her eyes, McGonagall walked away but not before saying, “if you dig too deep into that hole, you may be more disappointed than you were with your father.”

Stunned, Kari said nothing. Left alone once again, she pushed away papers until she found Victoria Lowry-Black’s family line, where it ended with her daughter. “I very much doubt that,” Kari sighed heavily, and opened up the book that held no answers once again.

*

Kari found herself sitting in the Common Room on Halloween night, stomach growling and unable to stop glaring at Harry. “A Deathday party. You couldn't just have said no? He's dead, he can't get his feelings hurt. Can't you just… pretend you forgot?”

“A promise is a promise,” Hermione told them sternly, “he said he would go.”

“Why couldn't the voices in your head have spoken up and reminded you were alive and there's delicious food at the Feast. You know, the living one?” Kari grumpily, but felt a twinge of guilt of making light of Harry’s situation. Had they been in the normal world, she would have thought some sort of mental illness. And while she hadn't ruled that out yet, she kept telling herself that it was probably just Malfoy playing an elaborate prank.

And yet… she couldn't help but wonder why Lockhart hadn't heard the sinister words. Though with his head so far up his own ass, Kari found it a wonder he heard much of anything that didn't have to do with how _amazing_ he supposedly was.

They walked past the Great Hall and all it's wonderful food, and she sighed glumly. “We don't have to stay long, do we?”

“Half an hour. Tops.” Ron muttered as he nudged her forward.

Though they didn't stay long, Kari found herself enjoying her first, and hopefully last, Deathday Party. Even with Peeves being a prat to Moaning Myrtle (and if she was being honest to herself, if she'd been stuck haunting a bathroom for all of eternity, she'd moan about it too), Kari found herself intrigued by the idea of death. She made a note to get together with Sir Nicholas to ask about what it was like to be dead and yet not quite. At the mention of pudding however, she pushed that thought aside and all but skipped out of the dungeon.

“Harry, what are you-?”

“It's that voice again - shut up a minute -”

Kari froze, glancing over her shoulder as Harry told them to listen. But he had taken off, and she had no choice to follow him into the entrance hall, up the stairs into the first floor. Winded and nervous now, for there were no voices that she could hear, Kari whipped out her wand. Before she could question him, Harry ran off again.

“Can you hear it?” She called to Ron as they trailed after Harry.

“Nothing. I think he's losing his marbles.”

“And so young, too.” She replied as she hurtled around the corner. “Harry-”

“Look!” Hermione gasped and pointed down the corridor.

They hurried forward, the writing on the wall clearer with every step they took.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

A shiver ran down her spine. “It's got to be a Halloween prank,” she said uncertainly, glancing around for Fred and George.

“What's that thing - hanging underneath?” The quiver in Ron’s voice was unmistakable.

“Mrs. Norris,” she breathed as she stepped forward to examine the cat. Stiff as a board and staring straight ahead. “We need to go.”

“We don't want to be found here,” Ron agreed.

No sooner had they taken a couple steps when people from the feast started to pour into the corridor. They noticed the writing on the wall, and the cat, just as quick as they had. And then -

“Enemies of the heir, beware! You'll be next, Mudbloods!”

Kari spun and found Draco, eyes flashing to match his satisfied grin. She hid her wand back in her robes, looking at Ron helplessly.

The situation, already awkward and tense, was made worse by the appearance of Filch and the teachers. While he went on about Harry killing his cat, and Lockhart blubbering about something, she glanced at the writing on the wall again. Who was the heir? What was the Chamber of Secrets?

Ron pushed her forward. “Are you paying _any_ attention at all? Dumbledore wants us.”

“But we didn't do _anything_ ,” she replied hotly as she stuck her hands in her robes, shoving her shoulder into Malfoy as she followed.

“Best be careful, Black. Enemies-”

“I heard you the first time. Idiot.” She snarled as she bared her teeth at him. “How do you know _you're_ not an enemy?”

“I'm a pureblood,” he smirked.

“Fat load of good that'll do you if the Heir is someone who hates gits with an enlarged ego,” Kari snapped.

“Black! Now.” Snape called as he waited for her.

Rolling her eyes, she made her way to him, shrugging off his guiding hand. She walked into Lockhart’s office, snorting softly at the portraits of himself with rollers in their hair as they ducked away.

She had expected Filch’s endless accusations and Lockhart’s over inflated sense of knowledge (that she would bet a good chunk of money that he had absolutely no idea what was actually wrong with Mrs. Norris). What caught her by surprise was Filch’s declaration of being a Squib, though the information settled quickly and made sense. She'd researched the subject having come across the word in her genealogy search, some Squibs even cast out from their families for their lack of magic.

What she was not expecting, and nearly burst out in laughter in surprise, was _Severus_ _Snape_ coming to their defense. Wrong place, wrong time. He wasn't _wrong_. But coming from Snape, he might as well be offering them sweets and a shoulder to cry on.

There had been questions from him, of course, and the suggestion that Harry be suspended from Quidditch. By the end, they were let go and Kari fought the urge to burst into dance. “That portrait seems to have bags under his eyes, Professor,” she told Lockhart sweetly, unable to resist. “Would be a shame if he walked around the castle like that.”

“Quite right!” He said angrily as he shot a glare at the portrait in question.

“Must you?” Hermione sighed heavily as they hurried away from his office and into an empty classroom.

“If he's going to be _that_ vain, then yes. I must.”

“Do you think I should have told them? About the voices?”

Kari turned and stared at Harry. “Only if you want to end up in the loony bin.”

“Hearing voices nobody else can hear isn't good, even in the Wizarding World,” Ron said just as quickly.

And then, a little meekly, Harry asked, “you believe me, don't you?”

Her heart broke a little. She stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. “We’ll figure this out, Harry. It's weird, but we've dealt with weird before.”

*

While everyone talked about nothing else but the Chamber of Secrets for the next few days, Kari borrowed books on mental manipulation. It felt like a stretch, but a good place to start. The books in the library, that they'd allow a second year student to take out, were absolutely useless other than to tell her that, yes, it was possible.

And so she wrote Tonks a note, saying it was for school work but she would really appreciate if she could go to Diagon Alley and get her more advanced stuff, also sending enough gold to cover it.

Kari grinned when she got her reply back, could see the pink haired woman rolling her eyes in her response:

_Don't know what they're teaching twelve year olds, but I don't remember it being this complex when I was there. Have some books. This is as much as you're getting from me, anything else and you'll be asking how to purée some poor bloke’s brain._

_Also, keep your change. I'm family, you silly thing. Consider it presents I missed out on giving you. Weird, slightly creepy book presents._

And so, armed with four good books on the subject, she marched into her dormitory and jumped on her bed, digging a box from under her bed. She pulled out her wand out and muttered an incantation to open it, one even Hermione would be stumped with.

There was, unnervingly enough, a lot on the subject. Potentially any witch or wizard could do it, though it required a strong wizard to do so.

“That rules out Malfoy, then.” Kari muttered to the empty room.

She began to take notes, to come up with theories, to imagine the worst. Kari had written to her father before Tonks, asking for books on dementia and hallucinations. For a school project. He had seemed just as convinced as Tonks had, but had sent them to her just the same.

When she saw the amount of strength it would take a wizard to manipulate a mind enough to make it hear voices, she held that thought and began to wonder if, perhaps, the stress of last year had gotten to him. Could the mind collapse under the amount of… craziness they'd gone through? Why him and not the rest of them? Could the Killing Curse have managed to do some damage to his brain, and a bit more rattling been enough to send him over the edge?

“What are you studying?”

Hermione’s voice startled her. Snapping the book shut, Kari glared at her. “Just some light reading.”

“Didn't seem light.”

Shoving her books into her box, and making great care to not let Hermione see into it (the last thing she wanted was Hermione’s endless questions about her mother) she said, “I don't question you when you take a tome out of the library. I’m just reading.”

“If it's about the Chamber of Secrets-”

“It's not.”

“Don't bother. I can't find anything worthwhile.”

Kari rolled her eyes. “I'm ten seconds away from pulling the curtains around my bed.”

Hermione turned on the spot and walked out of the dormitory. “Whatever you're up to, it's making you gripey.”

“Ha! Jokes on you: I'm _always_ gripey,” Kari called after her good naturedly.

*

She had fallen asleep. Stirring, she lifted her head from the book she'd laid her head on, tearing it from her face as the drool made it stick. Neck stiff, she rolled her shoulders and looked down at the book. It was the genealogy book, the one she'd bought and written endless notes as she wrote notes on what little she could find on her mother’s family.

“You really shouldn't be digging into that.”

Groaning, Kari shut the book. “Professor McGonagall, no offense, but it's really none of your business.”

The laugh startled her, for she couldn't remember ever hearing McGonagall _laugh_ , let alone at any of her remarks. She turned in her seat and nearly fell out of it at the sight of the woman before her. “I don't… _Mum?”_

Tori Lowry-Black settled into the seat to her daughter, limbs long and slender in a way that made Kari hopeful she'd inherit them. Those eyes, so blue they reminded Kari of the snow trapped in the glacier the Moore’s took her to as a child, turned to her and were warm. “Hello, darling.”

“I don't understand,” Kari whispered hoarsely, reaching for Tori before pulling her hand away, suddenly afraid. “You're dead. Am _I_ dead?”

“I am. You are most definitely _not_.” Tori said quickly and placed her hand on Kari’s, her smile soft and happy. Lifting her daughter’s hand, she pulled the book towards her and opened it, saying nothing as she skimmed the words.

Kari watched this, unsure of what to say or do. She had no memories of her mother, could not have brought up an image of her if not for all the pictures of her she had. She was just as beautiful as in those pictures, decked out in all black robes and yet making it look elegant and refined. A choker with an emerald jewel circled her long neck, where it gleamed beautifully against her pale ivory skin, so much lighter than her daughter’s sun-kissed tanned colouring. Her hair was as black as the night sky, curls of dark hair creating a mane around her slender face. “Oh, Mum,” Kari breathed before wrapping her arms around her. A ball of emotion filled her throat, tears prickling in her eyes.

Tori’s arms wrapped around her, holding her close. Her mother’s heartbeat sounded in her ear, and Kari wondered how it was possible if she were dead. “This is a dream,” she whispered softly, pulling back. “Isn't it?”

“Yes,” Tori said after a moment, wiping the tears from Kari’s face.

Kari sniffled. “Why are you here, Mum?”

Tori pulled the book towards her. “I know you're anxious to find out about me. I don't blame you. I wish I were there myself so you wouldn't have to wonder, Kari. But… but wait, a couple years. You're not going to like what you find, not with a bit of background and there's no one to give it to you quite yet.”

Her eyes narrowed and her stomach now felt like it had lead in it. “What could possibly be so bad that my subconscious sent _you?_ Nothing you've done could even come close to what Sirius did.”

At the mention of his name, Tori tilted her head. “And that's why I'm asking for you to let this go. For now. You'll find out soon enough. Finding out right now… it wouldn't be ideal.” At the sight of her daughter crossing her arms and raising her jaw in defiance, Tori couldn't help but let out a small laugh. “Oh, you sweet thing. You look so much like your father, if he could only see you now.”

Kari shuddered violently. “Don't say that. Don't you know-”

“And that,” said Tori said easily, tapping Kari on the nose. “Is why I would love for you to hold your horses and just _enjoy_ your childhood, hmm? You'll have plenty of time to fret and worry soon enough, I promise.”

She considered this. “You want me to just… drop my search for you. I've written to your brother, you know.”

Something very much like grief flashed through Tori’s friend. “You _definitely_ won't find what you're looking for there.”

Kari opened her mouth to ask something before shutting it. She didn't like the look of regret on her mother’s face. “I can't promise I'll drop it,” she said finally, glancing at Tori beneath her lashes. “But I'll try.”

“Spoken like your father’s daughter. He wasn't always a bad man, Kari. And he isn't. You just need to-”

“Nope,” quipped Kari as she stood up, smiling apologetically. “I've promised you all I can for now. I'm not about to go promise to stop hating Sirius Black as well.”

Tori stared at her, her face unreadable. Kari shifted from foot to foot. “I suppose that'll have to be enough for now,” her mother said as she stood up, far more gracefully than she had. She handed Kari her book back and placed a hand on her cheek, a smile spreading over her face as she placed a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. “Now Kari… _wake up.”_

Just as in her dream, she woke with a start. Sitting up in her bed, Kari pushed away her sweat soaked hair from her face. It took her a minute to realize she was back in her dormitory and night had fallen, books still scattered around her. The genealogy one was by her side, as if mocking her. She grabbed it and shoved it in the box, along with all her notes. Careful not to wake anyone, she pushed it deep under her bed and let out a breath as she crawled back into bed.

It was only then that a small dull ache settled above her heart, and she silently wept for the woman she would've called mother in another life, wept until sleep took into her a blissfully dreamless place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't possibly explain how much I love Tori - and the expansive background we've built for her. She's a cunning complex woman who wouldn't burden her twelve year old daughter with her darkest of secrets. I can't wait to share them with y'all.


	5. Chapter 5

She tried to forget about her mother, about the family she may or may not have on her side, about her father who her mother did not seem to hate, about how she could still close her eyes and feel her warmth and knew her scent.

“Okay. Why are you moping?”

Kari glanced up from her pudding at the sound of the Weasley twins’ voice, grunting good-naturedly as they sat down beside her and nudged her shoulder. “I'm not moping.”

“You're not eating,” George said as he eyed the pudding.

In response, Kari picked up a spoonful of pudding and shoved it in her mouth. “Not moping.”

Fred laughed. “Not afraid of the Chamber, are you?”

Kari shifted uncomfortably. She hadn't even given it a thought, so preoccupied she'd been with her own problems. “As long as it’s not housing a shit ton of snakes in it, I'm fine.”

“Scared of snakes, Kari?” Fred asked with a wicked grin.

“Nothing should ever move if it doesn't have legs,” she stated firmly, pushing her pudding away.

“Come walk with me?” George said as he sent Fred a look.

Kari raised an eyebrow but followed, waving to Fred. “Just a walk?”

“He likes to have fun. I do too. But I can tell something's up.”

“I had a dream about my mom,” she blurted out. Blushing, she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and peeked at George. “It's just… I wasn't expecting it. I keep wanting to see her again. And yet every time I fall asleep…”

“She's not there,” he finished for her, the look on his face too much like pity for her liking.

They walked in silence for a bit longer before she whispered, “you're very lucky. To know your parents.”

“They're pretty great,” he agreed. “You may not know yours, but you're pretty great despite not knowing them. I think that's pretty great.”

“Really hanging onto ‘great’, aren't you?” A laugh escaped her. She had not realized how much she had needed it.

He flashed her a thumbs up before jerking his head towards the library. “Harry and Ron are in there. I've delivered you to your destination.”

“And I didn't even know I needed to be there!” Kari grinned at him. “George… thanks.”

He smiled crookedly. “I could tell you needed a laugh. Go on then.”

She did, with more energy than she'd had for the last couple days. Arriving at the same time as Hermione, she heard the words “History of Magic” and groaned. “Haven't you read that a million times?”

Hemione turned towards her, scowling. “Do _you_ remember anything about the Chamber of Secrets in it?”

“Nope.” Kari said easily as she set her bag down and pulled her tie a bit to loosen it. “Why?”

“I can't find the story anywhere. Do you have your copy in that box you're so possessive over?”

It was her turn to scowl. “Must I share _everything_ with you? You already took my scarf.”

“I can't find mine! I'm just borrowing it.”

At Hermione’s continued gaze, Kari shrugged. “I don't think it's in my box, but it may be at the bottom of my trunk. I'll look.”

“What on earth have you been studying then, if not the Chamber of Secrets? I figured that's what you and Hermione were up to.” Harry asked curiously.

Kari schooled her face to seem nonchalant, but she could tell Ron wasn't fooled. The Weasleys seemed to have her number. “I can't just study then?”

“You never do!” Harry laughed. “What with learning by osmosis-”

She grinned, but suddenly felt clammy. “I don't have to take this kind of abuse. Are you lot coming to History of Magic or not?”

*

Much to Hermione’s disappointment, Kari didn't find her copy of Hogwarts a History. She found herself with different history books, this time on Salazar Slytherin, and found herself happily immersed in it while the others talked about ways to get Malfoy to confess to being the heir.

“All we'd need is some Polyjuice Potion.”

At this, Kari’s head jerked up and she looked at Hermione with disbelief. “I'm sorry, did I hear _Hermione Granger_ say we should brew up some Polyjuice Potion?”

Blushing, Hermione opened her mouth but before she could, Ron and Harry asked what it was.

“It transforms you into someone else,” Kari hissed, shutting her book sharply and twisting to look at Hermione more clearly. “Do you know how many school rules we’d breaking?”

“Well this is an unexpected role reversal.” Harry glanced at Kari with surprise. “Don't you want to know who did that to Mrs. Norris?”

“Of course I do. But there has to be a way to do it that won't get us stuck as a bunch of troll looking Slytherins. Come on, Hermione. If _I'm_ saying this is a bad idea, you know it's not-”

The color on Hermione’s face matched Ron’s hair. “Do you have any other ideas? What, do you reckon you can buddy up to Malfoy and get him to spill his secrets.”

“I _am_ a pureblood.” But even as she said the words, she deflated. She was as proud of her pure blood as she was of the dirt on her shoes. Grunting her resigned consent, she said, “okay, well a book like that is going to be in the Restricted Section of the library.”

There was _no way_ she was going to write Tonks for that.

_Hey cousin-several-times-removed! Remember how I wrote asking for books on ways to manipulate someone’s brain? Now I need one to brew a potion that turns me into someone else. Nothing out of the ordinary, promise! Just normal things that twelve year olds do!_

She may as well send a letter saying “totally going down my father’s path!”

They settled on Lockhart to fool into getting them a note into the Restricted Area of the library. A little ego stroking and he'd give Harry anything he wanted.

“Fine!” Kari cried out angrily, knowing this would end horribly and she'd be forever cursed with Pansy Parkinson’s face. “I don't know if you've ever read the instructions for it, Hermione. It's complex. It's not child’s play. One mistake and-”

“Oh, I know.” Hermione said as she beamed. “That's why you're going to be helping me brew it. You are top of our Potions class after all.”

It took several seconds before her mouth snapped shut and she shook her head. “No. No way. If I'm going to be stuck as a Slytherin and something goes wrong- and you _know_ something will go wrong- I want someone to blame that isn't me.”

“I'll be doing the bulk of the brewing,” Hermione said quickly. “You'll just… supervise.”

Unable to come up with a decent retort, Kari sank back into her cushions with a dark scowl. Eventually people began trickling upstairs, sleep calling them. Kari knew none would come tonight, not with the idea of brewing a difficult potion hanging over her head.

“Okay,” Ron finally said once most everyone had cleared out and Hermione and Harry were safely upstairs. “What was that look? What have you been studying?”

Kari glanced up at him and decided it would be futile to lie to him. “I'm more concerned with the voices Harry says he's been hearing. That's more real to me than some Heir of Slytherin. A myth, according to Professor Binns.”

Ron shifted in his seat, face set into a grim line. “A myth that petrified a cat.”

“We're in a magical school,” Kari pointed out quickly. “Who's to say something else didn't do that to her?”

“ _What_ could've done that?”

Unable to give him alternatives, Kari shrugged. “I don't know, Ron. All I know is that Harry is hearing voices that no one else can. I've researched everything I could get my hands on - magical and non-magical. Unless he's losing his mind, there's no reason he should be hearing voices.”

“Malfoy-”

Kari shook her head quickly. “He may know something about the Heir of Slytherin. But he's not bright enough to mess with someone's mind magically. No. Whatever it is, I haven't found anything and that worries me more than anything else. There is _always_ a trace and this… I don't know what this is.”

Ron stared at her, anxious by the look on her face. “You'll be able to figure it out.”

“I hope so,” she muttered darkly as she glanced up at the ceiling. “I can't figure it out but whatever it is, Ron, it can't be good.”

*

The first Quidditch match of the season came on a miserable muggy morning, and Kari, still half asleep, let Hermione wrap a scarf around her neck before walking them out to the pitch. Once there, Seamus placed a Gryffindor flag in her hand while Ron shrugged her every time Slytherin scored.

“Hold on. Something’s going on with that Bludger.”

Kari’s eyes sprang open. She trained them on Harry and the Bludger that seemed glued to him, then to Snape who looked just as perplexed as she felt. “Just once, i’d like to come to one of these games and not have Harry facing mortal danger,” she said grumpily as Fred and George circled him, beating it away from him before it zoomed back to him. “Someone’s bewitched it.”

“My bet’s on the Slytherin team,” Ron said darkly as Wood called a timeout. “Should we go down there?”

“May as well.” Sighing heavily and suddenly very awake, Kari pushed past the crowd, trying to ignore the cheers and gasps. “He's gonna end up on the field, preferably concussed and not dead.”

At the sound of the entire school crying out, Kari looked up mid step as Harry was hit by the Bludger. She stumbled, whipping her wand out without care of where she fell and cast out a quick charm to slow him down but it missed. “Shit! Ron!”

“Got you!” He hollered as people scrambled to get to the edge to see Harry fall to the ground. “Are you-”

“Fine,” she grunted as she straightened herself, Hermione on her heels. She rushed to the railing to watch Harry land, before she pushed off and cried, “we have to get to him.”

They got there quicker than she thought, though it felt like a lifetime to her. By the time she got to the field, Hermione was well ahead of them. George and Fred were trying to wrestle the Bludger in, she spared them a glance -George noticed her and grunted “go to him, he's-” but she didn't need any encouragement. Shoving her way through, tiny frame and all, she made it to the front where Lockhart was telling Hermione to take him to the hospital wing.

And the she noticed Harry’s missing bones. It didn't take a bright witch to connect the dots, and before she could think better of it, she turned to Lockhart and snarled her teeth. “You are by _far_ the most useless teacher _ever,_ you-”

“Kari!”

But Lockhart was knocked back into the crowd, Kari’s hair blown back from the force of the spell she had just unintentionally fired. Advancing to him, while he retreated, she held up her wand and growled, “you are incompetent and I have _no_ idea what you've done to him but you'd better hope that it's fixable or you'll have to answer to me, I swear to-”

She was lifted into the air, and a stream of curses erupted from her mouth. It was impressive and by the time she was set down in front of her ‘rescuer’, his ears were bright red. “He deserved it,” she said firmly, jerking her tie straight as she stood her ground in front of George.

“I'm not saying he didn't-”

“His bones are _gone_ -”

“Is it worth a detention-”

“Really? Coming from you-”

George shook her shoulders. “You need to pick your fights. This isn't one you can win. The idiot is thick, nothing you say is going to get through to him.”

Kari squared her shoulders and looked around him as Lockhart was helped up. “Made me feel better though.”

He laughed as he ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. Well. We still have a lot to teach you, tiny one. Revenge is best served when they least expect it. And less likely to end up in some bloody awful detention.”

“Black!”

“Shit.” Kari stepped around George, looking up at McGonagall. “Professor-”

“Fifteen points from Gryffindor-”

“He removed his _bones_ -”

But McGonagall was having none of it. “You do not attack teachers! I-”

George put a hand on Kari’s shoulder. “Professor, under the circumstances, shouldn't we find out what bewitched the Bludger? We won the match but Harry could’ve been killed. I've never seen anything like it, that Bludger was tampered with. I'll take her, and try to figure it out. We don't want a repeat of that.”

McGonagall raised an eyebrow before looking between George and Kari. “Very well. Your detention, if you can even call it that, will be to help Mr. Weasley study the Bludger. I want a full report by Monday. You'd better get started.”

Kari blinked. “I… Yes. Thank you, Professor. Can I… Can I go to the hospital wing? To check on Harry? I'll come right down.”

Her face softened slightly, though her mouth was still set into a line. “Of course. And Black… _do_ try to control your temper. You gave Professor Lockhart quite the scare.”

George watched her walk away, calling out to students to clear the field. “I didn't think she'd fall for that.”

Snorting, Kari stuffed her hands into her robes. “Yeah well… I reckon she got a good chuckle over me sending that idiot flying. She can't very well encourage it though. I… Thanks, George. As detentions go, it's not a bad one.”

“We’ll have fun,” he promised her as they began to walk up the castle. “And not a word to Fred. If he finds out I'm to be giving you a ‘detention’ I'll never hear the end of it. He'll reckon I'm following in dear old Percy’s steps.”

“Wouldn't want that,” she agreed with a smile on her face.

*

Kari had only moments to meet with Harry, before Madam Pomfrey came in to chase them away. While she dealt with the bulk of the Gryffindor team, she slid next to Harry’s bedside and poked his arm. “Does it hurt?”

“It doesn't feel like anything except useless,” he said miserably.

“I may or may not have sent a curse at Lockhart. Sent him flying.”

“Of course you did.” Harry said with a laugh and Kari knew it was worth it to see him smile when he was so uncomfortable. “What's the detention?”

“Trying to figure out what's with that Bludger. With George.” At the sight of surprise on Harry's face, she sighed. “He may have been the one to tear me away from exploding even more. When McGonagall came to holler at me, he stepped in. Better him than Snape. Or Filch. Or the Forbidden Forest.”

“I've never seen anything like it,” he said quickly as the room started to fall quiet. “It was as if it was locked on me. Malfoy-”

Kari shrugged quickly. “Maybe. But he's also really stupid. Unless he got someone else to do it for him-”

“Which is possible-”

“It is,” she agreed as she squeezed his hand gently. “I'll see what we find.”

“ _Black!_ Everyone out _includes_ you! Out! He needs-”

“To rest! I know, I know!” Kari cried as she jumped off his bed, sending a quick wave over her shoulder. “I'm going, I'm going.”

Ignoring Madam Pomfrey’s muttering, she raced upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and her Weasley Jumper before opening a book on Quidditch. Nothing about enchanted Bludgers besides them being bewitched to chase all players equally. Tying her hair back into a ponytail and stuffing her wand into her back pocket, she made her way to the Quidditch field. She got there before George, and before she could think better of it “borrowed” one of the school brooms. Kicking off into the air, she dashed around as high as she dared before racing to the ground, pulling up at the last second.

“Bloody hell! Kari. I thought-”

Distracted by the sound of her name, she turned the broom too fast and fell to the ground, rolling a few times. Grateful for being so close to the ground when she fell, she came to a stop. Her hands stung from the impact, every bone singing with pain.

George rushed to her, kneeling next to her. “You big idiot. You could've gotten hurt.”

“Could've,” she agreed with a grin. “But it was fun. I don't really get to fly, back home. Don't have a broom.”

He helped her up, inspecting her hands before pulling his scarf off his neck and ripping it in half, despite her protest. “We'll fly some after we figure this out.”

Kari sighed as she stared at her “bandaged” hands, thick and useless wrapped in his scarf. “Who's the idiot now? I can just magic myself better.”

“Yeah but this way I seem all chivalrous,” he said with a quick grin before jerking his head. “Come on. I brought the trunk with all the balls. Might as well get started.”

She followed him, jumping on her tiptoes as she wrapped her scarf around him. “Stop giving your scarves away. Or ruining them. I don't want to get a Howler from your Mum.”

George let out a laugh, wrapping her scarf around his neck, taking a second to make a show of snuggling it. He kicked the trunk open, where the Quaffle lay lifeless. The two Bludgers fought against their restraints. “It was this one,” he said with a frown, pointing at the one on the right. “Doesn't seem crazier than usual right now.”

Frowning, Kari pointed her wand at it. “ _Revelio_.”

“That'll only work to reveal objects,” George pointed out as he brought out his wand, muttering an incantation. The Bludger did not seem to react.

“Could it be enchanted to Harry only?” She said with a start as she knelt to look at it. It did not seem to have any tears or scratches out of the ordinary.

“Maybe. But how would it know?”

Kari bit her lip. “I reckon whoever enchanted it was smarter than a couple of students. As much as I'd love to pin this on Malfoy, he's just not very bright. _Immobulus.”_ The Bludger stopped moving. She worked the buckle free before pulling it out of its home. “Here, take a look at it. Does it seem different?”

George caught it easily. He held it up to his face, turning it over. “No, not at all. But if it was bewitched-”

“Then it wouldn't have any physical marks,” she finished his sentence with a grimace. “McGonagall is gonna have a cow once we go back and all we can tell her is that, yep, it was bewitched.”

“Better than nothing,” he said quickly at the look of disappointment on her face. “Besides, my goal was to get you out of a crappy detention. I believe I've done that. Now, about some flying I promised you? Let's toss some the Quaffle back and forth for a bit.”

She lit up at the thought of that, before shaking her head. “If we don't figure this out, and it _is_ enchanted to go after Harry, he could get hurt even worse next match.”

“So we take it to McGonagall to be taken out of commission. Come on. I saw your face up there. You enjoyed it. Let’s have some fun.”

“We’ll take it to McGonagall _right after_ we’re done flying,” she tried to say sternly but the longing look on her face gave her away.

“Immediately after we’re done,” George promised as he tossed her a broom and watched her shoot into the air with a wide grin, not a care in the world.

*

McGonagall had not been as displeased as Kari had anticipated when they finally made their way to her classroom. She listened to them, took the now lifeless Bludger from George and sighed, “I'll have Professor Dumbledore take a look at it…. Did you have fun flying, Black?”

Kari blushed furiously as George tried to hide his grin. “I… Professor?”

She looked up at Kari with a small smile. “Surely you don't think you were being discreet.”

“I wasn't aware we were being checked up on,” Kari snapped back, her words clipped even as alarms went off in her head.

Much to her amazement, McGonagall laughed softly. “As if I’d leave a Black and Weasley to their own devices during ‘detention’. I'm impressed you did try to figure this puzzle out before you decided to have fun.”

She wasn't sure what to say. Shrugging, she stuffed her hands in her jeans and mumbled, “we did _try.”_

“I saw. Thank you. You're free to go. And Black… A couple more years and you'd make a fine Chaser for the Gryffindor team.”

Surprised but pleased with the compliment, Kari flushed happily as she followed George out of the classroom without a word, a smile on both their faces.

“Can't think of anything better than flying around with one of my best mates during games,” he said they reached the portrait, turning to her.

“You heard McGonagall,” she said as she nudged his shoulder. “Couple more years. I need to beef up. Don't have the luxury of being tiny like the Seeker does. One hit and I'd be done.”

George chuckled. “You'd just get back on to jinx whoever knocked you off. Besides. I'd keep you safe.”

Kari blinked as George went into the Common Room, weighing the truth of his words. With a smile, she followed and allowed herself to think of a happy future rather than dwell in a past she had no control over.


	6. Chapter 6

“Kari. Wake- OW! Karina Black!”

She stifled a snigger as she opened one eye and yelped as Hermione launched back the pillow Kari had just thrown at her. “YOU woke ME up!”

“We need to start on the Polyjuice Potion.”

Snorting, Kari snuggled back into her bed. “Will you lot just give that up? Nothing is worth being stuck as horrendous looking Slytherin.”

“There's been another attack.”

Not much else would've gotten her to sit up faster. Shoving her hair out of her eyes, Kari focused on Hermione. “Who?”

“Colin Creevey.”

It took her a second to connect the name with a face. “Oh.” Letting out a slow breath, her heart twisting with anguish at the thought of the First Year now frozen in time. She'd wondered how odd it'd feel without the constant clicking of his camera. Resolved, she pushed out of bed and nodded at Hermione. “I'll meet you in the bathroom. Ten minutes.”

It was a sign of how grave things were when Hermione had no smart reply for her. She didn't put much stock into legends, but the thought of Muggles being attacked made her stomach twist. Slipping into her robes, Kari brushed her hair where it fell in waves around her face. Making sure her wand was safe in her pocket, she made her way downstairs and into the bathroom. Ron jumped up at the sound of the door opening. “It's just me!” She called out as she closed it behind her. Wasting no time, she walked over to Hermione and grabbed the potions book from her.

At the sight of her deepened frown, Hermione said, “it'll be fine. Would you start dividing the ingredients? I've had a look at it as well, I figured you'd catch any mistake I make.”

“Let's just get started,” Kari muttered as she set to work. She had realized, as she had made her way downstairs, that perhaps her mother could've told her a bit more about the Chamber of Secrets had she not been so selfish and thought about others.

“Harry!”

Distracted, Kari missed the wings she was meant to be grinding and hit her thumb instead. She nodded her greeting and worked on getting her throbbing thumb under control until - “ _Dobby_? That House Elf bewitched the Bludger? To get you leave? In what, a body bag?”

Harry laughed darkly. “I think just leave is the outcome he hoped for. I'm guessing you and George didn't find anything?”

At this, Ron turned to Kari in surprise. “You and _George?_ I reckoned you were at the library last night!”

“I got detention and George volunteered me to help him figure it out. We couldn't, obviously. Stupid house elves. We figured someone in the school had bewitched it.” At the look on Ron’s face, Kari flicked some water his way. “Oh cut it out. I got back late. I would've told you.”

He didn't seem convinced.

*

By the time the Dueling Club came, they had stolen supplies from Snape’s supplies and she felt as if she were walking on eggshells. Something about all of this had Kari more paranoid than usual, and despite her jokes at the fear of being stuck as a doppelgänger of some Slytherin it was something else. She'd seen the illustration in the books, she had read of the pain of the transformation. Having grown up in a cozy pain free life, she didn't know how much she could take.

And so some harmless dueling seemed like the perfect opportunity to take her mind off it. Until she walked into the Grand Hall where a giant stage had been set up and Gilderoy Lockhart was standing in splendid robes of gold.

“Nooooooope!” Kari said quickly as she began to turn to walk away.

Hermione’s hand held her in place. “This will be useful!”

Unable to shake her, Kari stood still and rolled her eyes. “Unless him teaching us how to style our hair perfectly is going to block spells, I doubt it. Come on, Hermione. This will be a huge waste of time. Unless he's the punching bag, there's nothing I can't learn that's not in a book.”

It was then that she saw Snape and began to laugh. “Never mind,” Kari said happily as she smirked. “I'll stay to watch this. Snape may be a giant bag of shitty attitude but he can wipe the floor with him.”

“It's a _friendly_ Dueling Club-” Hermione snapped.

“As all Dueling Clubs are, I'm sure.” Kari replied dryly as she squeezed in between Harry and Ron. “Hello, boys. Ready to see the glob of human incompetence that is Lockhart hit the floor? My bet is at least three times.”

“Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him if he didn't think he was capable! If you'd _read_ his books-”

But Kari was saved from replying as Lockhart began to introduce himself and his ‘assistant’. She was not the only one who laughed when he was sent flying by a Disarming Charm. And perhaps, had she not still been trying to catch her breath, Snape would have not strode towards them to split them up into partners. She went to Ron but Snape sneered, “I don't think so. Black, go to Parkinson.”

That sucked the laughter out of her. Looking up to glare up at him, she groaned. “Come on, Snape. Not her. Why do you hate me?”

“ _Professor_ Snape. Go. Now.”

Sulking, she made her way to Pansy Parkinson. The smile on her face was too dark to be inviting. “Best wipe that smile off before I do it for you,” Kari said angrily, as she held out her wand.

“I’d like to see you try,” Pansy hissed back.

“Shouldn't have said that,” Kari said sweetly with a smirk on her face. She waited for the count down, and was ready for Pansy’s spell. “ _Protego!”_ Pansy’s Disarming Charm bounced off, and she stared at Kari in disbelief. Grinning darkly, Kari lifted her wand and cried, “e _xpelliarmus_!”

She watched Pansy jump up, hair scattered from her usual bob. “You cheated!”

“Did not,” Kari said easily. “I wasn't the idiot who didn't think to protect herself. Might wanna wipe the blood from your lip.” Leaving Pansy to call out names after her, she hurried over to help Harry who was struggling to get Hermione’s opponent off.

“You alright?” She asked Hermione as she handed her back her wand.

Shaken, Hermione nodded weakly. “You?”

She jerked her head back towards Pansy, who was still shooting daggers at her. “Didn't think to protect yourself?” She meant it jokingly as she pushed hair off Hermione’s face, barely registering Harry being dragged up once again to the stage.

“There was no time! She-”

“SNAKE!”

Nothing could have had her shoving Hermione in front of her like that word did. Peeking over Hermione’s shoulder, she stared with wide eyes as a snake rose in front of Harry.

“Do something!” Ron hissed nervously as he shook her from her haze.

“I…” Kari shook her head as her wand hand quivered. “I can't.”

She wanted to turn and hide her head in Ron’s shoulder. Instead, she stood, frozen and yet every fiber in her being felt as if it was on fire. She couldn't remember a time when a snake attacked it or scared her like a teddy-bear-turned-spider had Ron. She just _was_ and there was nothing she could tell herself to _move_ and protect her friend.

Karina Black, punch first ask questions later, had nothing in her pocket to save Harry. And then, as the snake turned to Justin Finch-Fletchley, Harry stepped forward and started _speaking_ to the snake.

It was an unnatural sound, harsh and deadly all at once. And it was coming from Harry, who grinned as the snake slumped to the floor.

“He's a Parseltongue,” breathed Kari in disbelief as she stared at Harry. “I don't understand.”

Ron rushed up to grab Harry while Hermione dragged her behind them. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see people stumbling to get out of their way - out of Harry’s way. She couldn't blame them. She wished she could run the other way as well.

She listened to Ron and Hermione interrogate him back in the safety of the Common Room. At the sight of Harry looking dejected, she jerked her head at the other two. After they left, she knelt in front of him and stared at him. “You truly didn't know?”

“No! I mean… How could I? When I found out I was a wizard, I figured magic was what had allowed me to talk to it.”

Grimacing, Kari nodded stiffly. “Dark magic, is what people would associate it with.”

“Do… Do you?”

A fierce emotion surged through her at the sound of his question. It was small, weak… scared. “I think,” she started slowly as she sat beside him, trying not to shudder at the memory of Harry sounding like a snake. “That I don't really care what people think. You're a twelve year old boy with a load of weird shit. Everyone has weird stuff they don't know.”

“Whatever yours is, I bet it's not ‘can talk to snakes when no one else can’,” he muttered darkly as he leaned his head back.

She glanced at him quickly, thinking of her parents. _If only you knew,_ she thought sadly. “I didn't say some people's weird shit isn't weirder than others. Some people have six toes. You can talk to snakes. Big deal.”

“You heard Ron. It's a big deal.”

“Okay, so it's a _bit_ of a big deal.” Smiling, she shook her head. “Here's the important bit: dark magic or not, _you_ know there's nothing dark about what you did. You saved Justin from death by snake. I'm not sure why no one is more concerned about stupid Malfoy firing a snake out of his wand but that seems like small fish compared to… well.”

Harry grimaced. “Yeah… I reckon that's a footnote in today’s events.”

Kari looked at Harry, taking in the defeat in his posture. It upset her more than she cared to admit, and didn't like the helplessness she felt. “I promised you we’d figure this out. Chamber of Secrets and now… this. But for now, all that matters is that you _can_ use it for good. No matter what they say. I believe in you, Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived. I know it doesn't mean much-”

His hand shot out, fumbled for hers. “It means the world,” he said roughly. “I already don't know so much about my past, I'm sure you can relate. Having someone in my corner…”

She stared at his hand in hers. Felt a connection she hadn't before, and thought of the pictures in her box. Two tiny infants, one pulling the other down, with a huge grin on her face while he bawled. Their mothers’ rushing into the picture. Memories fluttered in her mind but left before she could comprehend them. “It makes you feel less alone,” she finished for him as she rested her head on his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Not even the joy of Christmas and all the wonderful presents she'd received could make the nervousness that had settled in her stomach leave. She ate her Christmas meal stiffly, barely snickering at the antics of the twins (she did not miss George’s glances, and resolved to smile more lest she be dragged off for another pep talk. She couldn't think of the word ‘great’ without seeing George’s wide grin and not smiling herself).

“You need to get some of Pansy Parkinson’s hair,” Hermione hissed at her as she pulled her aside.

Kari groaned. “Out of all the horrible people, that's who you've picked for me?”

“Malfoy fancies her, almost as much as he fancies you,” Hermione told her as they walked out of the Great Hall.

At that statement, Kari let out a bark of laughter. “So not much at all, then. I thought the point was to get people Malfoy trusts.”

Hermione shot her a funny look, but before Kari could ask what that was about, she said quickly, “can you just get it?”

“And how do you reckon I do that? _Oh hi, Parkinson! I know you hate me but give me a hug! Don't mind me plucking some of your hair!”_

“You're resourceful. I'm sure you'll manage.”

Leaving Kari to figure it out, she walked back into the Great Hall towards Harry and Ron. Kari frowned, wondering how on earth she was to find anything of Pansy Parkinson's that would help.

As if fate would have it, as Kari turned around to go back into the Great Hall to tell Hermione what she thought of her plan, she bumped and fell into the one and only Pansy Parkinson. The girl tumbled to the floor, crying out angrily. Seizing the opportunity, Kari fell on top of her clumsily.

“Get off me, you giant oaf! How dare you-”

“Sorry, so sorry!” Kari cried desperately as she used Pansy’s head as a way to push herself up and making sure to pull some hair out. “Here, let me help-”

But Parkinson shoved Kari aside, eyes flashing as she stood. “Are you a complete imbecile or do you just pride yourself on being one?”

“A bit of both, actually.” Kari said sweetly as she straightened her brand new Weasley Christmas Jumper, this one a gorgeous red and gold. “Are you alright?”

Pansy said nothing as she stalked past her. Gritting her teeth, Kari glanced around the deserted hallways and muttered “ _stupefy_.” Pansy hit the floor, hard. “Well shit,” Kari said as she rushed forward. “Didn't think this far ahead.”

She dragged Pansy to a broom closet. Worried that she'd wake up before they were through, Kari sighed. “ _Petrificus totalus_. Well. If you didn't hate me before now, I'm sure you will now. Sorry. Sort of. And thanks. For the hair.”

Shoving brooms on top of her to camouflage Pansy, Kari rushed to the first floor bathroom where the others were waiting.

“Did you get it?” Hermione asked urgently as she rushed forward to meet her.  Beaming brightly as Kari shoved Pansy’s hair in her hands, she looked up and raised her eyebrows. “And Parkinson?”

“Stunned. In a broom closet. Also paralyzed. I wasn't sure-”

“Wait, what? You what?”

Kari blinked as she looked up at Hermione’s bewildered face. “I stunned her?”

“How?!”

“With a spell?”

“What spell?”

Exasperated, Kari flung her arms in the air. “The stunning spell. Stupefy. Does it matter?”

Ron slowly brought out a cupcake. “Don't it eat,” he said quickly. “It was meant for Parkinson.”

“Sorry I ripped out some hair, have a cupcake?”

“It has a sleeping draught,” Hermione explained with an air of despair. “Kari, the stunning spell is advanced. Are you sure you did it right? She could be hurt, she could be-”

Offended, Kari bristled. “Believe it or not, I actually know what I'm doing. She's fine. Just knocked out. I did what I had to do, you didn't say anything about a plan on how to-”

Harry stepped between them. “Crabbe and Goyle already ate theirs and they only have an hour. We need to get going.”

Leaving Hermione to separate the potion into glasses and put the hairs in (and to muttering under her breath about _twelve year olds who do advanced magic and think they do it right),_ she changed into the Slytherin robes Hermione had smuggled for them. Stepping out and inspecting herself, she shuddered at the colour of her tie before grabbing her Polyjuice Potion and darting back in her stall.

“Ready?” Harry called out.

“Ready,” they all replied.

Kari looked at her murky brown-green Potion uncertainly before shooting it back into her throat and forcing herself to swallow.

She had been right to worry about the pain. Gasping, she held onto the walls as the sensation of her skin and bones stretching arched her back. Unable to scream, her mouth hung open as her lungs burned. Her face felt as if it were being ripped apart, and she watched, in horror, as her hands became someone else’s. Her long waves of dark brown hair darkened to jet black before shrinking into what she knew would be Pansy Parkinson’s signature bob.

Just as quickly as it had begun it ended. Panting, she pushed open the door and blinked up at Crabbed and Goyle. “I look as hideous as you two do, I don't want to see.”

Ron-Crabbe laughed, much more joyously than she'd ever seen the real Crabbe do. “Come on!” He called to Hermione as he banged on the door. “We've got to go.”

“I-I don't think I'm going to come after all. You go on without me.”

Kari narrowed her eyes as she dived for the potions book. At Hermione’s insistence that they go on without her, she shook her head. “You go on,” she told Ron and Harry softly as she glanced at Hermione’s stall. “Something’s not right. Go on.”

They looked at each other before setting off. She waited five seconds before sighing. “Alright. Come out. They're gone.”

“No!”

“You couldn't have brewed it wrong,” Kari snapped irritably. “We all came out okay. Well. As okay as one can be while having to look like Pansy Parkinson for an hour.”

“I didn't brew it wrong.”

Rolling her eyes, she pointed her wand at the stall and said “ _alohamora_ ” faster than Hermione could pull the door shut. She was not ready for the sight of Hermione -covered in black fur and yellow-eyed. “I don't understand. You said you got Millicent's hair.”

“She must have a cat,” wailed Hermione as she sobbed into her robes.

Kari rushed forward to hug her friend. “We can fix this.”

“It's not meant for animal use!”

Unable to argue with this, she sat Hermione on the toilet while she flipped through the book. Frustrated by the lack of answers, she shut it and sighed. “At least you don't meow?”

Hermione turned those yellow eyes on her. “This isn't funny. What if they can't fix it?”

“Then we’ll get you a ‘crazy cat lady’ jumper and call it a day.” At Hermione’s renewed sobs, Kari grimaced. “Come on, Hermione. It'll be fine. Madam Pomfrey will fix you up. And if not, I'll make it my life’s mission to find a way to fix it.”

Hiccuping, Hermione whispered, “you need to go unstupefy Parkinson. And… make it look like she fainted or _something-”_

 _“Now_? Looking like her? What if someone sees me?”

Wiping her feline nose, Hermione said, “it'll be worse if someone finds her in that closet!”

Kari looked at her uncertainly. “Are you sure you'll be okay?”

Hermione nodded. Still not entirely convinced, Kari looked over her shoulder as she walked out of the bathroom and pulled her cloak over her head.

This had gone as well as she had thought it would. It gave her little satisfaction to gloat and knew Hermione would kill her if she did.


	8. Chapter 8

Kari hoped that their latest misadventures would keep the rest of her friends from more wild ways to figure the mystery of Chambers out. She couldn't even be too concerned when Ron brought up the fact that Harry had found a diary and wouldn't stop obsessing over it.

“It's a diary, Ron.” She said happily as she settled into the cushions of the Gryffindor common couch in front of the fire, the rest of the school asleep while sleep evaded them both. “The worst that could happen is that he writes some super embarrassing dream and Malfoy finds it. Or heaven forbid, _Lockhart_. The buffoon would try to psychoanalyze it. Reckons a reoccurring nightmare about his bones being removed is something he can find the answer to in one of his many bullshit autobiographies. Let him write. The more writes, the less the chances of Hermione turning into a cat again. She only just stopped coughing up hairballs.”

“I just don't understand why someone would chuck Tom Riddle’s diary.” Ron muttered as he stood. “He was at the school 50 years ago.”

“Dunno.” Uninterested, she popped a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “For all we know it's just a book with his name on it. A novelty item. You said he did something important.”

“Yeah but we can't find _what_ he did.” When she didn't respond, he began to pace. “It doesn't add up.”

“Magical school. Nothing ever adds up.”

Frustrated by her lack of initiative, he scowled. “That's it? That's your answer?”

Kari let out a laugh. “Ron, this is the least trouble we've ever been in. Can we just enjoy it? I'm sure Hermione will find who he is, and why his book is lying around. Maybe someone found it in the library and it's not a library book so they didn't return it. Tell you what, I'll do that. Leave a blank book with my name of it, do something just enough remarkable to get a badge and drive a bunch of Second Years mad fifty years from now when they can't figure out why my dingy diary is still floating around with nothing written in it.” When he seemed unamused, she smiled. “Come on. Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. Did you get me a pretty card?”

Distracted, Ron blinked at her. “I didn't last year. Was I supposed to?”

“See, now my feelings are hurt.” She grinned good-naturedly. “And here I thought you were my friend.”

She woke up the next morning, resolved to be in a good mood. Not even Lockhart’s bright pink robes could dampen her mood, and his announcement of dwarves delivering Valentines caused her to burst out laughing.

“I'm sending Snape one,” she said breathlessly as she looked at the dark look on his face at Lockhart’s suggestion that Snape teach them to brew up a Love Potion. “Quick, what rhymes with greasy grumpy git?”

Several people got singing Valentine’s and she enjoyed them all immensely. She was hurrying to Charms when a dwarf pulled on her robes. Her friends didn't notice, and while she had enjoyed others getting sung to she had no desire to hear one for herself. Acting quickly, she placed a hand on the dwarf’s mouth and hooked her other arm around it, half carrying, half dragging the squirming dwarf into an empty broom closet. “You start singing and I may just punch you,” she told him quickly as she shot him a glare. “I realize you had the misfortune of doing that idiot’s bidding, but I swear I'll send him a punch via you if you start singing.”

She almost hoped he would start singing so she could have the joy of watching Lockhart get punched by a dwarf. Instead, the dwarf shook free and shoved a note in her hand before stalking off. Surprised, she looked down at the now slightly crumpled note and sighed. “Please don't be someone I’ll have to act all awkward with now…”

Tearing the note open once, then twice, her eyes scanned it before she grinned.

_Just wanted to make you smile. No signing required, I hope. Happy ‘everyone acts like an idiot’ day, little one._

 

_G._

She ran her fingers over George’s messy scrawl before she burst out laughing. It carried her all through the day, a grinning idiot for all to see.

 

*

“Did you hear me?”

Kari looked up lazily from the book she had been reading, raising an eyebrow at Harry’s scowl. “Hagrid opened the Chamber of Secrets opened fifty years ago.”

“ _And?”_ Harry prodded as she turned back to her book. “That doesn't surprise you?”

“Not really. Only because I've decided not to tell you how mental that sounds.”

“But he had a giant beast.”

Kari laughed easily. “He _always_ has giant beasts. Doesn't make him the Heir of Slytherin. It's _Hagrid_ , Harry. He can't even use magic.”

“He could back then. Before he got expelled.”

Sighing, she shut her book and raised her hands. “Fine. Let's say he could do insane magic that opened up a mythical Chamber. Do you really think he would've been allowed to stay on school grounds if he’d released a monster that murdered someone? Are you saying that he's doing it _now?_ ”

“Well… No. Of course not.”

“I'm not even going to get into ‘ _a magic diary allowed you to see this and you're not even questioning that’_. Did Riddle tell you why someone chucked his diary?”

“...No. But he wouldn't know, would he?”

Shrugging, Kari ran her hand over her face. “Dunno. It just seems shifty to me. I-”

She was interrupted by tapping at the window. Harry rushed over to the window where her owl hopped in before flying to her. Petting Hermes, she took the letter from his leg before he flew out again. “It's from my parents!” She told Harry happily before tearing it open.

It made her stomach sink.

_Hello Mouse,_

_I got a letter that wasn't addressed to me but I figured I could shed some light. Your mother’s brother - Tabor Lowry. I'm sorry, Mouse. He's passed away, sometime before your mother. I'm not sure how, but as there was a war going on, I would have to guess there's a good chance he was killed because of it. I wasn't aware you were looking into her family. I don't know much about your father, and what I know of your mother is of her time here, when her family came for vacations. I have many happy memories of a young girl with beautiful black hair and eyes as blue as the sky. It may not be the thing you're looking for, but it's all I have._

_I love you, Mouse._

_Dad._

“Kari?”

She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, with tears in her eyes before Harry spoke her name softly. “I'm okay.”

“Are you sure? Your family, are they-”

Her fist crumpled the letter before she chucked it in the fire. “It was just another dead end.” Her voice was raw, emotion dripping from it as she struggled not to cry. “I was looking for answers and the one I got… It wasn't what I hoped for.”

Harry crossed the room, putting an arm around her as she began to cry. “What were you hoping for?”

“Family,” she whispered helplessly as she surrendered and broke into sobs that ripped through her body. Harry held onto her, and for a moment, she allowed herself to believe the fantasy that Harry was all the family she needed.

*

Harry’s diary had been stolen, something he ranted about at great length. By the time the Quidditch match came around, she decided it couldn't come at a better time if only to distract him from it.

She was in good spirits, grinning as George and Fred sat down next to her. “Hello, boys.”

“I hear you'd make a decent Chaser,” said Fred cheerfully as he sniped a piece of her bacon.

“Give me a couple years,” Kari smirked as she pulled her plate away from George’s wandering hands, “and I'll be more than decent.”

George poked her side, causing her to yelp before he stole a piece of toast. “S’true. Don't tell Angelina or Katie I said it, but she's got the weaving down already. I reckon she’d give them a run for their money.”

“Stop. I can only take so much flattery before it goes to my head.” She grinned before she spotted Harry get up, followed by Ron and Hermione. “I've got to go. Play nice, boys.”

“Don't we always?” Fred called after her with a laugh.

She jogged out of the Great Hall, dismayed when she saw Hermione racing up the stairs. “What's going on?”

Ron turned to her with a frown. “Harry heard the voice again.”

“ _Again?”_ Startled, she rushed to Harry. “Where-”

“I don't _know_ ,” he said through gritted teeth as he strained to hear.

Shaking her head, she asked, “and Hermione?”

“Understood something and had to go to the library. You going to go with her?”

“Quidditch or library.” Kari scoffed as she raised both hands, weighing her options. “You're making this a really hard choice, Weasley.”

“You don't have to be an ass about it,” he laughed as Harry ran up to their dormitory to grab his gear, while they walked to the field. “Wonder what Hermione figured out.”

Kari shrugged, inhaling deeply at the fresh air. They walked in silence, and even with the worry of Harry hearing the voice again, she couldn't feel too bothered. “Knowing Hermione, it'll be something mind blowing and it'll make me question why I work as hard as I do to get good grades.”

“You _don't_ work hard to get good grades,” Ron reminded her.

“Oh yeah. Must run in the family.”

She said it before she could think it through. Luckily, Ron grinned and said, “hey, maybe that's the one good thing you got from your dad!”

Thankful for the opportunity to keep it light, she snorted. “I think you mean that and my good looks. I- hey. What's going on down in the field? Is that McGonagall? Oh for Merlin Sake, if he has no bones _again_ -!”

“This match has been cancelled!” McGonagall called out through a giant megaphone.

“Come on,” Ron muttered, grabbing her hand and pulling her through the crowd to get to Harry while McGonagall gave more instructions.

“Yes, perhaps you'd better come along, Mr. Weasley. Ms. Black.” McGonagall told them as they reached her. They followed her up to the school, while a million scenarios raced through Kari’s head. What could they possibly be in trouble for this time?

“This will come as a bit of a shock,” she told them in a voice gentle enough to send alarm bells through Kari’s head.

She knew who it would be before she saw the bushy brown hair. It still did not ease the pain that slashed through her and left her breathless. _Oh,_ she realized with a start as she placed her hand on Hermione’s stiff one. _This is my family._ The weight of that truth hit her with a force she did not expect, and it hurt more than than she could articulate. Instead, when she opened her mouth and looked at McGonagall, it was the voice of a person beyond her years. “The mandrakes will be ready soon?”

“I… Yes. Professor Sprout believes so.”

She jerked her head once. “If there's anything I can do to help her, I would like to know.”

McGonagall smiled gently. “I hear Herbology is not your strongest suit.”

“I'll make it my strongest suit if it means Hermione will break free from this.” Her words were hard and clipped. “Just… Please.”

“I will let her know. Come now. All three of you. You're not to roam the corridors.”

*

Hermione’s bed was slightly harder than hers. Kari found herself lying on it, staring up at the canopy above the bed while tears she wished she could shed refused to come. Helplessness did not sit well with her, and yet she couldn't seem to get up to do anything. Hermione was the brains and motor of their group. After all, what was she but just another body to get in trouble? She was not brave like Harry, smart like Hermione and held none of Ron’s sense of humour. “It should've been me,” she whispered to the empty room, where it echoed back to her softly. Had she followed Hermione when Ron suggested it, would they now both be lying in the Hospital Wing, oblivious to the rest of the world? Would she have been able to defend her friend? The doubt plagued Kari, leaving her lightheaded. 

“Oi, there you are.” Kari looked up at the sound of a girl’s voice, for a quick second forgetting it could not be Hermione. Lavender Brown stood in the dormitory, a scowl on her face. “Funny, I'm not a bloody owl and yet here I am telling you that Ron and Harry are looking for you.”

In response, Kari pointed her wand at the curtains around the bed and they shut with snap. She heard Lavender sighed angrily and muttered about rude witches before leaving. Her footsteps faded away, leaving Kari to her misery once again.

Hours later, as the clock rang eleven times, Kari pushed off Hermione’s bed and pulled her childhood blanket from her trunk. It was a ratty old thing, the red of the Gryffindors and green of the Slytherins intertwined into a beautiful circular pattern. She knew it was hers from a life before her adoptive parents, a life she wondered about endlessly. Unafraid, she slipped into her bathrobe before making her way down the common room and out into the hallways of the castle. _I am a pureblood_ , she thought to herself bitterly. _Would the Heir of Slytherin risk spilling pure blood even if that person was a blood-traitor as they come?_

“ _Black!_ What-”

Kari whirled, wand held high. “Oh. Professor Snape.”

He advanced on her with a dark scowl. “What do you think you're doing, roaming the halls at this hour? Do you think these new rules don't apply to you? Ten points from-”

“I was going to the Hospital Wing.” Kari snapped angrily. “I just… I needed to make sure Hermione is okay.”

“Ms. Granger is petrified. She is as fine as she can be given the circumstances.”

Kari’s clenched her jaw. “Yeah, well. I need to get up there.”

“I am sure I will regret asking, but why-”

She thrust her blanket out to him in response and watched as an odd look crossed his face. It took him a second before he regained his composure and he drawled, “I can assure you that she is well stocked with blankets, Black.”

“Listen, are you going to let me go up there or not?” She snapped angrily, the blanket still thrust out in front of her. “I've heard that people in comas can hear loved ones even when they can't respond. I want her to know we miss her. I don't have many things I treasure but this… I like it a lot. And she knows it. She tries to borrow it all the time and I threaten to jinx her if she does.”

Snape said nothing. He stared at her, boredom on his face until he finally sighed. “You know I can't let you up there.”

“Fine.” Kari quipped with a wry smile. “But just know that I'll keep trying to get up there. Don't care how many points you take away. I-”

“I will take the blanket for you,” he said, and Kari gaped. “If it will get you to get this foolish notion out of your head, I'll go. Give it here.”

She stared at him suspiciously. “This is my _favourite_ blanket. It's the only thing I have of my parents. You're not just telling me this to get me back to bed are you?”

“Black. Give it here. Ms. Granger will get this.”

It was not the outcome she was expecting but she handed him the blanket. “You'll have to talk to her. Tell her it's from me. And… I'm sorry.”

“For?”

Kari shook her head, thinking of all the times she'd brushed her off or laughed at the knowledge she'd tried to bestow upon her. “She'll know,” she told him as guilt settled in her stomach.

Snape regarded her curiously. “Very well. Now… Get back to your common room. No detours.”

“Normally I'd say no promises but I just don't have it in me tonight. Thank you, Professor.”

Before he could change his mind, Kari hurried back to the Common Room, where Ron and Harry were waiting for her.

“There you are! We couldn't figure out how to get you down here,” Ron said quickly as she stopped in front of them. “Dumbledore. He's gone.”

“Gone?” The words didn't register. “Where?”

“He's been voted out of the school by Malfoy and his cronies.” Ron muttered darkly.

“That's not all,” Harry said heavily as they all sat down on the couch. “Hagrid's been taken to Azakaban.”

Kari’s head whipped up. “Azkaban?”

“The wizarding prison,” Harry told her helpfully. “It's where all-”

“I know what it is,” she told him roughly. Harry raised his eyebrows, and meekly mumbled, “read about it. In some book. Why Azkaban? Is there to be no trial? It's an awful place, meant for… meant for criminals.”

Ron placed a hand on hers, subtly enough that Harry wouldn't notice. “He'll be fine. He's tough. But without Dumbledore, we’ll all in trouble. It's been attacks so far. Who knows how bold the monster will grow.”

 _I am a pureblood,_ she thought fiercely. “You two stick with me. I know a couple jinxes that might help should we encounter anything. Don't know what it'll do to a monster that can petrify people but…”

“But we stick together,” Harry agreed firmly, and his statement made her feel less alone.


	9. Chapter 9

In was during Potions class that Kari lost her cool. Malfoy was bragging about Dumbledore leaving the school, and suggested that Snape fill the Headmaster position and that he wished it had been Hermione who had been killed when she chucked a jar of slugs at his head.

“Black-!”

The bell rang. “He's an _ass_ ,” she told Snape angrily. “I didn't jinx him. And he's not bleeding… much.”

“How dare you! My father-”

Kari grabbed her book bag while Snape looked between them. “Oh, shove off. You were being a prat. You don't need to spout off that garbage. If Hogwarts closes, _you’ll_ be out of a home too. Come here. Idiot.” She crossed the room to Malfoy who scurried behind his cauldron. Everyone else was filing out into the hallway, waiting for Snape to escort them to the next class. “I'm not saying sorry. You mostly deserved that. Will you just _stay_ still? I'm trying to-”

“I don't need your help!” Malfoy cried hotly.

Rolling her eyes, she raised her wand. “ _Episky._ ” She studied her handy work before wiping the blood from his forehead with a nod. Malfoy stood still as a statue. “Okay. I feel a _little_ bad.”

“Not trying to get out of detention?” He asked her with a bit of mirth before remembering which side she stood of for most things and pushed past her.

Kari stood there for a second. “There's always going to be conflict, isn't there? No matter how hard you try to fix things.”

“You threw a jar at his head,” Snape drawled.

“I stand by my firm believe that he deserved that.” Kari snorted a laugh, a grin on her face. “What's my punishment?”

Snape ushered her into the hallway. “You were nice to Mr. Malfoy. For you, that ought to be punishment enough.”

Surprised, Kari raised her eyebrows. “I mean… It was. But really?”

“Don't push it,” she heard him say as he sped away from her, leaving her to wonder what saving grace she had. Snape was a bully and mean, but somehow, with enough annoyance and perseverance, she felt like she almost got through that rough, greasy exterior.

*

Ron was still whimpering. Harry sat frozen in the chair in front of the fire. For the hundredth time that evening, Kari whispered, “did we almost just get eaten by giant spiders?”

Beside her, Ron shuddered violently. Harry turned his eyes to her and nodded. “But Hagrid didn't do it.”

“Brilliant,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “Shall we take McGonagall to hear that confession? I'm sure the giant spiders won't try to eat _her_.”

“Will you stop saying _giant spiders!”_ Ron hissed angrily.

“That's _after_ we tell her that we snuck out of bed using Harry’s Invisibility Cloak, of course.” Scowling, she rubbed Ron who had begun to shake again. “I mean, what do we _do_ with this information?”

“Nothing,” Harry said simply. “There's nothing we can do. Don't look at me like that, you know I'm right. If we go to anyone, they'll know Hagrid set that thing they think killed that girl free and they'll hunt it down. People would get hurt, there's no way they'd go quietly.”

Kari shook her head. “So Hagrid stays in _Azkaban?_ Can't we write Dumbledore? He'd understand.”

“He'd still have to take it to _somebody_ and then we're back at square one.”

Helplessness began to crowd her again. Pushing herself to her feet, she dragged a hand through her hair, sticks and leaves falling loose. “I'm… I need to sleep. Ron… Are you-”

“Fine,” came his squeaky reply.

She chuckled humorlessly as she walked upstairs. Sleep eluded her that night, while she wished desperately that she could dream of her mother. As a Slytherin, could she have information she could pass on? Kari felt selfish, she'd had the chance to ask and instead she'd used it to be the little girl she had always dreamed she'd be with her mother.

*

“It's Moaning Myrtle. She’s the girl who died fifty years ago!”

Kari looked up from her uneaten breakfast at the excited faces of Ron and Harry. “Okay?”

“You need to go to that bathroom!”

She sent an impressive scowl in Ron’s direction. “If I stand up, _right now_ , and announce I've got to go to the bathroom, a teacher will escort me. And they won't take me to the one out of order. No. We need to get in there. We’ll need to sneak in.”

Harry nodded. “Lockhart?”

“Of course,” she quipped with an easy grin. “It's easy to pull the wool over his eyes. You should do it though. I don't flatter him nearly enough, and after knocking him on his ass during that one Quidditch match, I reckon he thinks I'm the Devil.”

Ginny came over and sat next to Ron. Surprised, Kari looked up and smiled at the girl gently. It turned into a concerned frown as she saw the dark circles under her eyes, and how spooked she was.

She wasn't the only one concerned. Harry caught her eyes, and when he asked her if she knew anything about the Chamber, Ginny looked as if she was about to jump out of her skin. Before she could say much else, Percy came and shooed her away.

“Do you think she knows anything?” Harry asked them.

Ron shook his head. “She's a First Year. Probably just worried about finals.”

“Yes, because heaven forbid First Years know anything life altering. I don't know any eleven year olds taking on an evil wizard on the back of another wizard’s head.” Kari smacked his arm. “Git. She's your sister.”

“She would've told me!” He replied hotly.

“Will you talk to her?” Harry interrupted before Kari could retort.

It worked. “Me? I… I guess I could. I don't know her well. _Hey George and Fred’s little sister-”_

“She's my sister too!”

Kari smiled sweetly. “Yes but they're nicer to me.”

“Yes, yes we are.”

Grinning, she looked up as George and Fred walked by, messing up her hair as they did so. “You'll pay for that!”

“Bring it, little one!” George laughed as he waved.

Breathless from laughing, she turned back to a stony faced Ron. “What?”

“If you're quite finished-”

“Oh don't get jealous on me,” she smiled sweetly as she planted a kiss on his cheek. “You know you're my favourite red head. Now, if you’ll excuse me, to prove how much I love you, I’ll go see if I can go sneak to Myrtle’s bathroom.”

It had, of course, not worked. She had barely gotten to the door when McGonagall descended upon her demanding to know where she was going. Kari feigned innocence. “To pee?”

“You know good and well this bathroom is out of service. Follow me.”

Left with no choice, Kari sent Myrtle’s bathroom a last wistful glance before she trailed after McGonagall. “Professor, I don't-”

“Here we are. In you go, Black.”

Kari sighed before she walked into the bathroom and into a stall. She stared at it, having no desire to urinate at all. “I can't go with you listening,” she said lamely.

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake. Do you have to go or not?”

“Well not anymore, now I feel pressured!” Kari lied as she stalked out of the stall to wash her hands. McGonagall sent her a steely glare before shepherding to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

“Well?” Ron hissed as she settled next to him.

Kari stared at him. “McGonagall intercepted me.”

“Bloody hell. Well, let's hope this git falls for it.”

  
Just when she thought Lockhart couldn't get any stupider, Harry and Ron fooled him into allowing them to get themselves the rest of the way to the next class. Grinning, they rushed to the bathroom when-

“Potter! Weasley! Oh, for- Black. What are you doing?”

Kari flinched at the sound of McGonagall’s voice. While Ron stammered out an answer, Harry swooped in and told her they were trying to see Hermione. And McGonagall, the giant softie, _allowed_ them.

Excited at the thought of seeing Hermione, they rushed to the Hospital Wing. Nerves settled in her stomach. They had not seen her since she had been petrified.

Madam Pomfrey let them in and tears prickled in her eyes as she saw her blanket on Hermione’s rigid body, just as Snape had promised. She settled herself by her head, brushing her hair softly.

“What's that? In her hand?”

Kari looked up at the sound of Harry’s whisper. He began to pull at it, but stopped. “It'll rip.”

“We have magic,” Kari reminded him. “I can fix it if you do. Just get it out.”

After several tense seconds, Harry pulled it free without ripping it. They crowded around it. Kari's eyes flew over it and she gasped. A Basilisk. Hermione’s neat scrawl _pipes_.

“Harry-”

“This is it,” he breathed. She listened to Harry explain to Ron how the Basilisk had managed to only petrify people, how he could understand it if it was a giant snake (Kari let out a shudder to rival Ron’s) and how it had been getting around the school. “So we go tell them. The staff room. Come on.”

Kari glanced back at Hermione, grateful for her knowledge even when she was so far gone from them. They ran to the staff room but the bell never came. Instead, McGonagall’s voice filled the school telling them to head back to the dormitories. Never had they heard her voice so worried. “Now what?”

“In here,” Harry said pointed them into a wardrobe. “Let's hear what this is about. Then we tell them.”

“What, jump out and yell surprise?” She muttered as she filed in, still picturing a giant snake.

“It has happened,” she heard McGonagall say as the teachers walked in. “A student has been taken by the Monster.”

Kari dug her arm into Harry. He heard her hiss her name in warning.

When McGonagall said Ginny’s name as the victim, Kari’s felt her knees weaken. _But she's a pureblood_ , she thought dully as Ron sunk to the floor.

*

The Common Room was silent. The twins, Ron, Harry and Kari had huddled in the corner but no one said anything. Time moved slowly and all Kari could think of was of Ginny earlier this morning. How she had gone to try to sneak in the bathroom instead of seeking her out.

Fred and George stood up, saying nothing as they walked upstairs. People moved aside for them to let them through.

Ron suggested they go to Lockhart, to tell him what they knew since the teachers had taken him up on his talk on how he could stop the Heir of Slytherin. Under any circumstances, Kari would’ve chuckled with delight. Now… now she hoped he would somehow prove her wrong and save Ginny.

And yet, she wasn't even surprised when they got to his office and saw him packing his things. And then he told them. Taking credit for people’s work, and erasing their memories.

“I knew you were useless,” she growled as she curled her hands into fists. “But I must say I'm shocked that you could surprise me by _how_ useless you actually are.”

Lockhart sent her a smile. “Never could fool you, Miss Black. From the very start, you doubted my abilities.”

“I don't trust anyone who worries more about their hair than learning how to immobilize pixies,” she bared her teeth into a snarl. “Or how to fix broken bones. Some teacher you are.”

Lockhart raised his wand on them, but before he could cast his Memory Charm on them, Harry pulled out his wand and Disarmed him. Ron caught the wand, and Kari raised her own with a grim smile.

“What'd you want me to do?” Lockhart asked in a pathetic whine. “I don't know where the Chamber is. There's nothing I can do.”

“You're in luck,” Harry snapped as he pushed Lockhart up. “We think we know where it is, and what's inside. Let's go.”

Lockhart hesitated. “I'd listen to Harry.” Kari said easily as she poked her wand into his back. “The last time I jinxed you, I'd lost my temper. Imagine how much deadlier I'll be when I know exactly what I'm doing. Unlike you, I _do_ have an appreciation for the Defense Against the Dark Arts. I know a lot of protection spells. Also know a lot of spells to cause pain.”

“A good point,” Lockhart sighed as he was marched ahead of them.

They arrived at Myrtle’s bathroom, and she told them how she died. Kari felt sorry for the girl, imagining the last thing she saw being that Basilik.

Harry walked over to where Myrtle pointed, where she died. Kari took over watch duty, keeping her eyes on Lockhart who kept glancing at her nervously. _You_ **_should_ ** _be nervous,_ she thought as rage coursed her as she thought of the magnitude of his lies. _You should be_ **_terrified._ **

And then she heard it, the horrible hissing words coming out of Harry. Goosebumps erupted up her arms as sink moved, sank and a giant pipe was exposed. “I'm going down there,” Harry said.

“Me too,” said Ron.

Kari nodded, while her whole body ached to run away at the thought of a giant snake. “I'm coming,” she said in a firm voice.

“Well, you seem to have this under control. I'll just-”

Kari let out a bark of laughter, far darker than usual. “Oh no. You're coming with us. Move.”

“What use-”

“If the only thing you're good for is Basilisk bait, so be it,” she told him as she shoved him to sit, his legs dangling into the pipe. Ron shoved him, and they heard his screaming all the way down.

“You don't have to do this,” Harry told her as he looked at his friends.

Kari smiled weakly as she wiped her hands on her jeans. “Shut up. Let's go save Ginny.”

The ride down made Kari claustrophobic. It was a tight fight, and she tried not to think of it being the snake. “ _Lumos,”_ she murmured as light flooded from her wand.

“Harry - there's something up there-” Ron called out.

Her light shone on a gigantic snake skin, at least several feet long. Heaving, she turned away while Lockhart slumped.

“Kari-” Harry rushed towards her while Ron snapped at Lockhart to get up.

And then Ron was in the ground, with Lockhart on top of him as he wrenched Ron’s wand from him. “The adventure ends here! I shall-”

Blood rushed to her head. She raised her wand, ready to cast a spell but before she could Lockhart raised Ron’s wand and cried, “ _obliviate!”_

It was like a small bomb had gone off. She pushed Harry away from her as rocks began to fall, and tried to follow only to have a bunch of rocks land on her arm. “Kari!”

“S’ok!” She called as she illuminated the space around her. Her arm was broken, and pain coursed through her. “Arm broken.”

“I can hear you, you're close!” She heard Ron call. “I think I can clear the rocks to you.”

“Harry,” she began through gritted teeth, leaning her head back to rest it on the cave walls. “You can't go alone. Wait. I can try to blow some of these rocks-”

“You can't,” he said quickly. “You saw what one small explosion did. You'll bring this place down on us.”

There was a heavy pause. “You can't. Harry-”

“One hour. If I'm not back in one hour…”

“You'll be back,” she said fiercely as she lifted her good arm to touch the wall separating her from Harry. “You make sure you do.”

She heard him get up and walk away. On her other said, Ron was shifting rocks. Blinking back tears, she pointed her wand at her broken arm and muttered, “ _ferula.”_

“Kari?”

“Still here.” She wanted desperately to cry. She used the levitation spell to help Ron clear rocks. When he reached her, he rushed forward to frame her face with his hands.

“Are you alright?”

“Peachy. Lockhart?”

Ron glanced behind them, where Lockhart was talking to himself. “Lucky he grabbed my wand and not one of yours. The spell backfired on him… Has no clue who he is.”

She leaned on Ron as he pulled her up. “Pity. Kind of wish I could jinx the crap out of him right now.”

“Well you look hurt!” Lockhart cried when he spotted her. “Your arm seems broken.”

Kari rolled her eyes. “What gave it away?”

“It's in a splint,” he said simply and began to look around.

Ron gaped at him for a second before turning to Kari, who was glaring at Lockhart darkly. “We’ll need to clear some rocks, for when they get back.”

Kari moved her arm uselessly. “I won't be much help with this. Small rocks and magic for me.”

They worked in silence for what seemed like hours, with Kari occasionally hissing in pain. She'd shake away Ron’s concern while her mind wandered to Harry. A giant snake versus a boy with minimal magical knowledge. For all her spells and tricks, she was once again left behind. She only hoped they'd gotten him far enough to get to Ginny in time.


	10. Chapter 10

She was there when Hermione came back to the land of the living, while Mrs. Weasley went back and forth to fuss over Kari and Ginny. Hermione took a great big breath, and Kari grinned. She jumped off the bed and strolled over to Hermione’s. “Took you long enough.”

“ _Kari_! Did you solve it? It's was-”

“A basilisk. Only took us idiots a couple weeks but yes. It's over, Hermione. It's - _ow!_ My arm is still bloody broken!” She yelped as Hermione threw her arms around her, but her eyes filled with tears as she embraced her back. “I'm so glad you're back.”

“How'd your arm-”

Kari shook her head. “Long story. One you're not going to like.”

Hermione laughed breathlessly as Madam Pomfrey came over to look over her. “The Chamber is closed! What could possibly be worse than that?”

Kari glanced at the bed which had curtains pulled around it. “You knew how I kept telling you Lockhart's books were rubbish? Ah, stop it! There's more. I was right.” At Hermione's scowl, Kari grinned. “He went around, interviewing other people who did the things he said he did and… erase their memory. Then when we got down to the Chamber, he tried to erase _ours_ only he tried to use Ron’s wand and… well. He doesn't remember who he is.”

For a moment Kari worried that Hermione was still petrified. “But that's awful,” she finally whispered in a small voice.

Kari felt a wince of pity. “People are kind of shit,” she muttered softly as she sat on the bed with Hermione. “He's going to go to St. Mungo’s. To get his memory back.”

She was interrupted by the loud voices of the Weasleys, who noticed Hermione had woken up. George hung back with her while the others surrounded Hermione. “You lot need to stop sneaking off and being heroes,” he told her.

Smiling, she looked up at him. “Nothing bad happened. We saved Ginny.”

George glanced down at her arm, still in the sling but now with its bones set properly. “I know getting into trouble is what we _do_. But cut it out.”

“Those of you cleared for the feast, get out. I have patients to attend to. Ms. Weasley, no, not you. Everyone else, parents excluded, out!”

Kari didn't need telling twice. She grabbed Hermione’s hand, wrapping her blanket around her neck like a cape and made her way to the Great Hall, feeling lighter than she had in months.

*

“Mouse.”

Kari looked around at the sound of her nickname, grinning brightly at her father. “Dad!”

He rushed forward, concern on his face at the sight of the sling. “What-”

“I'll tell you all about it,” she laughed as she looked around the Muggle platform. “My trunk. George and Fred are helping me, because well, I have a gimp arm.”

Seconds later, the Weasleys came through and they rushed forward, thanking Keith for Kari. He seemed confused but shook their thanks away. “We raised her to help her friends,” he said easily as he took the cart from George with a grin. “Seems like she went above and beyond this year.”

“You'll let that get to her head,” Fred said as he messed up her hair, laughing when she cussed at him.

“Kari!”

“Harry,” she breathed as she jogged to him, wincing. “You'll actually write to me this summer, right?”

He grinned. “Unless there's another helpful House Elf, I promise I will.”

“Don't even joke,” she groaned. “Third Year, Harry. I can feel it. It's gonna be our easy, no near death experiences year.”

“It'd be nice,” he agreed as he glanced at the Dursleys.

She watched him walk to them, waved at the Weasleys as they called their goodbyes. Ginny looked back at her, smiling. She beamed back at her, thankful that things had worked out.

Kari turned to her father, sighing at the questions in his eyes. “So it turns out the darkest wizard of all times put a part of himself in a diary,” she began as they walked out of the train station.

“Of course he did,” Keith sighed. “Can't you come back from school with normal stories?”

Grinning, she settled into the car rental and asked, “but what fun would that be?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really should've just tacked this one onto the last chapter, but oh well. It's not my favourite year by any means but I was impatient and wanted to get to the Third Year.


End file.
